No More Heroes
by Crimsarious
Summary: All his life, Alexander has known nothing but hatred and resentment when it comes to Overwatch and the so-called "heroes" who inhabit it. However, for all of that time, he has been unable to do anything but stand by and watch as they were hailed as saviors. But he knew the truth. And when an opportunity to gain the power to finally bring them to justice is presented, he takes it.
1. Before

**A/N: I am just going to be completely up-front about one rather large aspect about this story: While he does have his reasons, the protagonist of this story will eventually commit a lot of acts that could make it very easy to label him as a villain. Or the short version: He's a bad guy. If you're not into that sort of protagonist, this story might be difficult, though not impossible, for you to enjoy. But if you're fine with that, then I can't say much more than I sincerely hope you enjoy this and please do leave a review!**

* * *

The rain fell heavily and loudly everywhere. Small drops of water hitting the pavement, creating a chaotic symphony of one kind of noise.

Some of the water had run over the pavement and was now collected in a small puddle, unable to escape.

Suddenly, a single foot stepped into the puddle. As the water splashed everywhere, the figure the foot belonged to continued to press on through the rain.

As the figure walked through the rain, it saw one of the wet newspapers that laid in on the ground.

" _Overwatch Once Again Accepted By the UN; A True Resurrection_ " The headline read. The figure quickly scoffed after reading it, before continuing.

On its way through the city, the soaked figure happened to walk past a clothing store. It stopped and turned towards the window, where a dry mannequin was wearing some sort of blue dress.

The figure continued to look at the mannequin, which was bathed in yellow light from above, despite the figure being a guy.

Eventually, the guy lowered his gaze and his eyes fell on his own reflection in the glass. His black, wet hair was sticking onto his head, his pale skin was uncomfortably close to the bones of his face and his overcoat was completely soaked.

His green eyes observantly took in every detail.

Just standing and looking at his own reflection, a sudden sneeze caused him to turn away from the window.

Wiping away the sticky snot, the guy heard a voice next to him. "You okay?" A female voice asked.

The guy immediately turned towards the voice, surprised, and saw a girl with red hair, standing and looking at him with concern under an umbrella.

Relaxing, the guy turned towards her. "It's just a cold." He responded quite sternly.

"Don't you have an umbrella?" The girl then asked. The guy simply shook his head.

"You can have mine, if you want." She then suddenly offered as she extended the hand holding the umbrella towards him.

The guy looked at it for a few seconds. "Really?" He eventually asked.

"Sure." She just responded.

Not one to pass up such an opportunity, the guy took the umbrella. He did make sure it still covered the girl as well.

Taking the umbrella, the guy got a better look at the girl. She was wearing a long coat and a crimson sweater underneath. She was also carrying a bag from the shop over her shoulder.

"What's your name?" The girl then asked.

"Alexander Caeden." The guy answered. "And you?" He then asked back.

"Emily." The girl responded, as she extended a hand. "Nice to meet you Alex. I hope you don't mind me calling you Alex?"

"No, it's fine." Alexander answered her. A small smile was finally beginning to form on his face, as he extended his own hand to shake her's.

"Hey Emily, don't just go wanderin' off without me!" Another female voice suddenly pierced the rain.

Every muscle in Alexander's body froze and tensed, as he slowly looked over at the girl running over towards them.

"Sorry about that." Emily quickly apologized as she instinctively retracted her hand. "I was just giving this guy my umbrella." She then explained.

"Oh, right." Emily suddenly exclaimed as if she'd remembered something. "Lena, this is Alexander Caeden. Alex, this is-"

"Lena Oxton." Alexander finished her sentence for her.

"Yes." Emily confirmed. However, when she turned back towards Alex, she saw something unexpected. He was looking at Lena, but his eyes were narrowed and filled with the purest form of hatred she had ever seen. His knuckles were also completely white and the umbrella above him cast an eerie shadow which covered his face. But even then, his hateful eyes still shone through it.

"I see you know me." Lena commented.

"Indeed." Alexander continued, his voice almost a hiss of malice. "And you two know each other." He then said.

"Yes, why?" Lena asked defiantly, getting rather annoyed over Alex's attitude towards her. "You got a problem with me?"

Alexander took a slow step towards her. "Not just you." He spoke as slowly as he walked. "All of Overwatch is nothing but a destructive curse on the world. You're just another willing part of that."

"You know him?" Lena suddenly asked Emily. She was mostly just standing by and watching in shock over how quickly Alex's demeanor had changed.

Alexander suddenly stopped and turned towards Emily. His spiteful eyes and shadow-covered face gave him an intimidating, almost unnatural, aura.

From this new position, Alexander could see down the bag Emily was carrying over her shoulder. It was the same blue dress as in the window.

With a quick grunt, Alexander folded the umbrella. As the rain once again began to pour down on him, he quickly threw it back to Emily, who barely managed to catch it.

Then, with one last stare, he walked past Lena and out into the rain.

"Hey wait a minute!" Lena called out for him.

Alexander stopped and turned around so he could look at Lena.

"If Overwatch truly cared about the people they're saying they protect, then the surname Caeden should mean something to you! But it clearly doesn't!" He shouted back at her. He then turned around and walked into the rain-filled blackness of the night.

As Emily and Lena began to walk the other way, a shadow swiftly dashed in the same direction as Alexander.

* * *

Alexander quickly opened the door and stepped inside the apartment, even though the temperature was just as cold as outside.

As he took off his wet overcoat, the sounds of footsteps from deeper inside the apartment brought Alexander the first real smile of the day.

"Al!" The familiar voice exclaimed, as the arms of the person it belonged to wrapped themselves around Alexander from behind.

"Hey Nat." Alexander calmly replied. Once the arms had let go of him, he turned around and shut the door with his foot on the way.

"I was getting worried." Nat suddenly admitted. "You were out later than I expected. I was worried something might've happened to you."

Alexander let out a low chuckle as he looked down at his smaller little sister. "You know I had to come home to you."

Nat's face immediately brightend up and she looked up at her brother with her observant, blue eyes.

"Well," She then suddenly continued. Her black hair flowed quite gracefully when she turned around to walk into the living room. "How did it go?" She asked as she stepped inside the living room.

Alexander's face darkened a bit. "Not well." He answered. With slow steps, he walked into the empty doorframe to the living room, and took in the sight in front of him.

Right in front of him stood a decrepid old couch which stood only a few meters away from a broken TV. To the couch's left was another, equally decrepid chair, and leaned up against that chair was his little sister.

Nat was wearing a black skirt and a dark grey jacket over a simple, dark orange t-shirt. The same outfit as yesterday. And the day before that. And so on.

Alexander let out a sigh.

"Did they not accept you?" Nat asked with concern.

"No." Her brother simply answered. Walking into the room, he quickly made his way over to the couch and sat down on it. "They didn't want to hire someone who only has experience as a thief and errand boy." He then elaborated.

Nat didn't initially have anything to say. She wanted to comfort her brother, but just didn't know how.

"I'm... sorry." Alexander unexpectedly said. "That I once again couldn't find a way to save you from this life of a lowly thief."

His expression was suddenly one of sadness and bitterness and his fists were clenched.

"No, don't be!" Nat almost shouted in protest of her brother's nonsense. She quickly sat down next to him. "You're doing all you can, and that's more than enough for me. It's their fault!"

Alexander looked over at her. As his sister leaned her head against his shoulder, she added "Besides, I got quite a lot today. You have time. Don't stress."

"If you say so." Her brother replied with a small sigh.

The siblings were quiet for a few minutes. They just sat and enjoyed one of the few things they still had: Each other's company.

Eventually, Alexander turned his head slightly and looked at his sister. Her eyes were closed and her general expression was one of distance.

"If you're tired, then you can just go to bed." He said softly, followed by another low chuckle.

Nat slowly opened her eyes. "Mm? If you say so, Al."

With one last encouraging nod from her brother, Nat stood up and and made her way into the room next door. Even though Alexander knew it made no difference if she slept on the couch or on the mattresses in there.

"Oh well." He mumbled to himself as he leaned back in the couch, producing a few creaking noises.

Though his expression was one of peace for a few seconds, it quickly became one of mild anger, as he thought back on his earlier encounter.

"Overwatch." He mumbled out loud. The mere mentioning of the name caused the same, familiar fire to flare up inside him.

"I hope you suffer a fate worse than ours." He then mumbled while closing his eyes, planning to get some shut-eye himself.

"You could help with that." A sudden and unknown voice said.

Alexander quickly jumped up from the couch and turned towards the source of the voice, the dark corner of the room.

At first, the corner looked empty. Then, the shadows seemingly began to tighten and condense, slowly forming a cohesive figure.

The shadow-figure took a step out of the shadow, into the light from the streets outside, and Alexander immediately tensed up.

"Reaper." The older brother simply said.

"I see you know of me." The mercenary said, though with neither surprise nor glee.

"So what if I do?" Alexander responded. Naturally, he was weary of someone who could likely kill him and Nat in an instant. But for some reason, he sensed something else.

"You aren't here to kill me." He said. "If that was the case, then you'd have already done so."

Reaper simply let out a menacing cackle at the revelation.

"Correct." The mercenary confirmed. "In fact, you may actually be of use to us."

"What use could Talon have for me?" Alexander asked, still weary despite Reaper's reassurance.

"Have you ever heard the expression 'an enemy of an enemy is a friend'?" Reaper asked and Alexander immediately froze. "Come. Let's negotiate." Reaper suddenly said, as he half walked, half floated over to the lone chair next to the couch.

Without saying anything or taking his eyes off the intruder, Alexander took a seat in the couch. "What do we have to negotiate?" He asked.

"In short, I have a proposal for you." Reaper quite quickly explained as he sat down in the chair, making it creak like the couch.

"You, or Talon?" The older brother asked, his voice not at all hiding his caution and hesitation.

"You're awfully well-informed for someone who lives in a dump like this." Reaper noted, though it wasn't clear if it was to Alexander or just to himself.

When Alexander didn't respond, Reaper allowed himself to continue on. "Talon. I'm just the messenger." He clarified. He then leaned forward in the chair, as his gaze suddenly locked onto Alexander.

"I'll be blunt. Talon has an experiment, and they need a proper 'subject' for it. Gotta love the language of those scientists. Anyway, they have concluded that you would be an excellent 'subject'. Now all we need is your consent." The mercenary explained.

Alexander was almost completely taken aback. "Me?" He asked, the disbelief in his voice clear as day.

"Is there anyone else in here I could be asking?" Reaper sarcastically responded while leaning back in the chair.

"No..." The older brother responded. "But, why should I accept? What can I possibly gain from it? And, why me?"

Reaper suddenly leaned in close and whispered alluringly. "It could give you the power to take your revenge on Overwatch."

Alexander's eyes widend as they stared into the empty air. "What... exactly does this experiment entail?" He slowly asked.

"Hell if I know." Reaper bluntly answered. "But they did tell me something else you might like the sound of. If you come, then Talon would be willing to finance Natalia's life for the duration of the experiment."

Though he thought it impossible, Alexander's eyes opened even wider, as they went over to the door where his sister had just went inside.

"That..." He slowly said. He then turned towards Reaper, as he continued "sounds too good to be true."

In response, the mercenary quickly dove into his pocket and threw a large stack of dollars onto the table. "'The first month in advance as proof of good faith', they said." He simply relayed.

Alexander just looked at the stack for a few seconds.

"Wait a second." He suddenly exclaimed. "You just said you need my consent. Couldn't you just abduct me?" He asked with suspicion.

"I admit, that is how we usually aquire our subjects." Reaper started. "However, as far as I was told, this experiment could result in a person getting so much power, the consent of the subject was needed, purely as a safety precaution. Basically, if we abducted you, it would likely end with you killing everyone once we were done." He put it quite bluntly.

Alexander looked down at his own hand. "And that power... will be mine? I can use it to strike back at Overwatch?" He absently asked.

"Correct." The mercenary simply answered.

"But, why me?" Another question arose from Alexander.

"They didn't tell me." The mercenary admitted. "But, I have a theory. It's because you're a survivor. You've survived like this for years. And that stubborness to keep living, that is what makes the difference in this."

"I see." Alexander responded, just as absentminded as before. He then turned towards the door to where Nat was. "But I have something to live for."

"I was like that. Once." Reaper admitted, now the one talking absentmindedly.

The mercenary quickly shook himself out of his thoughts and stood up from the chair. "Of course, once the experiment's done, we'll expect you to... assist us with our goals. As the price for the powers and her financial support."

Alexander looked up at the mercenary. "On one condition." He said.

"Oh?" Reaper said, clearly not expecting this.

The older brother stood up. "The financial help to Nat, I want it to continue for as long as I work for you. And if I do decide to leave, you can just cut it."

Reaper looked at him for a few seconds. "I don't have the authority to decide these things. You'll have to discuss that with the higher-ups. Though, if I may, that doesn't sound too unreasonable."

"Then I accept your conditions. For Nat's sake." Alexander said, with one last glance at the door to her.

"I couldn't care for why you do this. But no matter the reason, I have a feeling I'll enjoy working alongside you." Reaper responded with a low chuckle. He then extended a hand forward.

Taking his eyes off the door and over at Reaper, Alexander shook the talon-covered glove of the mercenary.


	2. Anniversary

**A/N: Before anything else, let me just say how happy and thankful I am for how many of you havde decided to favorite and follow this story. I honestly didn't dare to hope for anything near this, so thank you. Now, as I read what reviews were left, I realized I might not have made it clear exactly where in the timeline this story takes place. So, in this chapter, I have made an effort to make that more clear and apparent. But if that's still enough, then just say so and I'll just explain it in the A/N for the next chapter. Alright? Good. Now, let's continue.**

* * *

In one of the many dark alleys of London, the soft breathing of a sleeping homeless man could be heard.

The man was sleeping on a matress, with a just simple blanket over him. He was also wearing a dirty, brown jacket over a black t-shirt, a pair of torn jeans and a brown cap.

Suddenly, another, sharp sound pierced the alley.

The homeless man immediately sat up with a grunt and looked around with observant eyes. Eventually, his eyes landed on a fallen over transbin a bit further down the alley.

Just as he was about to stand up, the figure of a black cat rushed past him, seemingly in a panic. Likely the one knocked over the transbin.

"Stupid animal." The homeless man grumbled to himself. His voice was rather coarse.

Even though he wanted to go back to sleep, he knew he couldn't now that he was wide awake. Instead, he turned towards the transbin.

Its contents had thankfully not fallen too far out of it, just an empty can and a crumbled newspaper had made it somewhat far.

"I wonder what scared it though." The homeless man pondered.

"That might have been me." A completely unexpected voice answered from way beyond the darkness, where the streetslights couldn't reach.

The homeless man almost shot out of his make-shift bed, as he tried to see where the voice had come from.

"Where are you?" He asked, clearly panicking. "Show yourself!"

As soon as he had said that, a pair of narrowed, green eyes lit up in the darkness. And soon, the body they belonged to stepped out into the light.

The homeless man relaxed and let out a sigh of relief upon seeing him. It was just a young guy, the only unordinary thing about him being his unusually white hair.

When the homeless man opened his eyes, he suddenly noticed that the guy was not wearing anything other than a white t-shirt and a pair of similarily white underwear.

"You really scared me there kid." The homeless man admitted.

When the new arrival didn't say anything, he continued. "But what're you doing out here, at this hour. And wearing that?"

The guy took a quick glance down himself before answering. "I was on my way somewhere."

"Well, you better make it there quick, kid. God knows what lurks out here at night." The homeless man warned.

"True..." The arrival admitted. He then suddenly looked at the homeless man like he was scanning him.

As the guy's eyes went up and down his body, the homeless man felt a shiver go down his spine.

"It seems it would fit." He suddenly mumbled to himself.

"W-what would?" The homeless man asked, not being able to hide his nervousness.

"How much for your jacket?" The arrival suddenly asked.

"What?" The homeless man asked back, not sure if he'd heard correctly.

"It's quite cold, and unlike you, I haven't got something to sleep under." The guy explained. He then began to take slow steps toward the homeless man. "So, how much for your jacket?"

"I-" The homeless man started, but he was cut off when the sound of paper crunching suddenly appeared in the alley.

The new arrival looked down at his foot, to see what he had stepped on. The crumbled newspaper. And a piece of the headline was readable. " _Overw"_ it read.

The eyes of the arrival suddenly became fixated on the newspaper and he quickly picked it up to read the full headline.

 _"The 1-Year Anniversary Celebration of Overwatch's Renewal is to be Held in London"_ it read.

Upon reading the headline, the guy's eyes suddenly went from calm and dissecting to ones that were filled with incredible hatred and resentment.

However, his eyes didn't linger on the paper long. Calming down a bit, he quickly turned back to the homeless man, who instictively took a few steps back, and threw the newspaper over to him.

"When is that taking place?" He asked, his voice not only resentful but eeriely calm and collected.

"T-t-tomorrow." The homeless man answered, now clearly panicking again.

"I see." The arrival mumbled surprisingly thoughtfully. "Then I can't afford to be patient."

Upon hearing that, the homeless guy completely panicked. He turned around and immediately tried to make a run for the streets.

However, he ran for only two seconds, before suddenly stopping, as he felt an incredible pain in his chest.

For a few seconds, screams could be heard from the alley. Then they were followed by sounds of bones breaking and flesh being torn apart. And then, silence just like before.

* * *

King's Row was usually quite a busy street during the late hours of the day, however, it was currently seeing more traffic than ever before.

The street was brightly lit up by several projectors along the road, which lead up to a decorated stage where even more projectors cast bright light everywhere.

A densely packed crowd was gathered in front of the stage, which was located just in front of the Mondatta statue. And even those who weren't gathered on street, but sitting inside the cafés instead, were also following through the windows.

Apart from the projectors, the stage was also decorated with a blue covering, a podium and a background, where the Overwatch logo was proudly displayed against a similarly blue background.

Around the stage, and on some of the nearby buildings, cameras were also pointed towards it, so people also could follow on TV's around the world.

Throughout the gathered crowd, of which some people were wearing clothes with the same logo to show support, a constant whispering was present.

But for even those who weren't whispering, there was an excited atmosphere. No knew exactly what to anticipate.

Suddenly, the projectors around the stage turned towards it and the whispering stopped immediately. On the stage, bathed in the projectors' light behind the podium, stood the mayor of London.

After quickly coughing to exterminate the last remnants of whispering, the mayor spoke.

"One year ago, the UN was convinced that the reformed Overwatch, lead by Winston, was once again a group that could be trusted. One year has passed since that day. One year, where Overwatch has steadily been making our once devided and war-torn planet safe. And with the UN's support, they have been able to react and help more efficiently than ever before. And so, to celebrate one year of succesfull peacekeeping, and to wish that the following years will continue to be as big succeses, we in the London City Council were beyond honoured when they said they'd like to host the anniversary here. So, without eating up anymore of your time, please welcome Overwatch!"

A wave of roaring applause went through the crowd, as the members of Overwatch stepped onto the stage. The men were all wearing a formal suit and the women were all wearing an either blue or black dress.

In the middle of the crowd, there was a single person who didn't clap. The girl simply stood and watched coldly with her blue eyes.

Once everyone had made it onto the stage, the mayor quickly shook hands with Winston before handing him the space behind the podium.

"Thank you, thank you." The gorilla quickly said into the microphone. The clapping swiftly died down.

"Before anything else, I would like to apologize on the behalf on some of our members, who, unfortunately, couldn't be here due to a sudden need for them elsewhere." Winston then said.

"Now then," The gorilla continued. As he began a prepared speech, wherein he thanked everyone who had supported them and gave some examples of the things that had happened during the year, among other things, the stoic girl kept watching.

While she watched, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and a face close to her right ear. But before she could do anything, the person said "Be calm."

Upon hearing the voice, the girl relaxed completely and even smiled. "Just remain calm, but be prepared." The person said.

"Yes." The girl simply responded.

With a quick clap on her shoulder, the person continued forward. As he moved past the girl, she could see he was wearing a pair of jeans and a brown cap and jacket.

"Now then." Winston concluded his speech, while subtly folding a piece of paper. "I asked everyone to prepare a short speech for this. However, if all we did was to hold speeches, it would be really boring. So once we're done with those, we'll come down and spend the night with everyone as equals."

Upon hearing that, a fair few among the crowd gave a short applause.

"And the first I'd like to speak, is one of our few veterans from the old Overwatch: Reinhardt Wilhelm." Winston presented, before stepping aside, letting the german come to the podium.

"There is a german saying-" Reinhardt began his speech.

Among the crowd, one of the people with an Overwatch t-shirt suddenly felt something behind him. But before he had a chance to properly react, another person suddenly pushed him aside and stepped in front of him.

"Hey, watch where you're going." The guy whispered, annoyed.

However, when he looked at the person who had pushed him, he saw something weird. The jacket the person was wearing had a large hole in the back, exposing his white shirt underneath.

"Hey," He tried, but the person had already pushed his way forward.

" _Vielen Dank_." Reinhardt finished his speech with a quick 'thank you' in german.

As anoter wave of applause went through the crowd, the knight stepped back and let Genji step up now.

"Greetings." The cyborg ninja said in his metallic voice.

As he continued with his speech, most of the crowd listened engaged. One of those who wasn't that interested, a large man with a leather jacket, suddenly felt something to his left.

Turning his head, he saw a slightly smaller guy trying to push his way between him and someone else.

The man quickly turned towards the guy and whispered "Don't try to push me like that. Get lost."

However, as soon as the guy heard that, he turned towards the man. The brown cap covered one of his eyes, but the other looked at him so intensily and without any mercy, it almost made the man sweat.

"Would you please move?" The guy asked. While the words themselves were polite, the tone and the eye gave it all a threatening vibe.

Without saying anything further, the man stepped aside and the guy continued forward.

With Genji being done and having stepped aside, Lena was now the one to step up to the podium.

As her girlfriend took the stage, Emily stood on the front line of the crowd, leaned up against the metal railing, and watched happily. However, as she stood, she felt something to her right. When she turned, she saw the guy with a brown jacket and cap.

He briefly looked at her, and in that moment, Emily thought she felt some sort of dejá vu. However, he quickly looked away.

Deciding it was nothing, Emily turned back to Lena on the stage. She tried to focus on her girlfriend, but a constant tapping on the metal railing near her made it unnecessarily difficult.

"Thank you all so much!" Lena finished her speech. More applause rose from the crowd.

Suddenly, an incredibly loud and piercing noise sounded from the front row of the crowd, silencing all other noises in a moment.

Everyone in the crowd, including Emily, turned towards the source: The guy. He was holding very tightly around the metal railing.

"What was that?" Lena suddenly asked from the stage. Her eyes also quickly landed on the same guy as everyone else.

Knowing Lena's attention was on him, the guy smirked. "You call that a speech?" He asked while looking up into her eyes.

"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" Lena asked back, choosing to ignore the comment.

Upon hearing her question, the guy's smirk immediately faded. "I see you're choosing to be as blind as ever." He mumbled, though still loud enough for Lena to hear it.

"Um, excuse me." Winston suddenly interjected. "Would you please remain quiet for now?" He tried.

The guy scoffed. "New leader, same silencing attitude."

"Excuse me, but are you just trying to pick a fight with us?" Lena asked, clearly annoyed and agitated.

The guy's smirk returned. "Resorting to violence that quickly, huh?" He asked. "Well, I have no objections." He then said.

Not prepared for that response at all, Lena and Winston just looked at him in confusion as he jumped over the railing.

And as he walked closer to the stage, Emily saw the source of the piercing sound: The metal railing was bend and crumbled like paper where the guy had just held it.

"Bring it." He confidently exclaimed.


	3. Aftermath

"Guys, you should come and see this." Fareeha said from the cockpit of the dropship.

Quite quickly, the rest of the squad made their way up to the cockpit. And as soon as they did, they saw what Fareeha meant.

In the distance, at what was likely their destination, smoke was rising up. And a lot of it.

"I'm beginning to see why we had to cancel the anniversary for this." Ana commented out loud.

"Doesn't look like anything we could afford to put off, I agree." Hanzo responded, though without taking his eyes off the smoke.

For a few seconds, everyone just quietly watched as the source of unnerving amounts of smoke slowly came closer and closer.

"Alright everyone." 76 broke the silence once they were close enough. As he walked back into the main area of the ship, everyone else followed.

"As it looks, the sudden call for support we recieved wasn't as unfounded as we'd thought." The old soldier began while eveyone else took a seat. "So far, the only thing that's clear, is that... something happened here. Who, why, or even what exactly is still up in the air. And therefore, tread forward with extreme caution. We are here to investigate, first and foremost, not to open fire on the first rat we see. Remember that."

"And don't take any unnecessary risks." Ana added from the sidelines.

"And that too." 76 quickly agreed.

Everyone gathered nodded. "ETA around 3 minutes." 76 quickly said, before he went over and sat down next to Ana.

As soon as he had sat down, the old soldier sighed. "I could swear, sometimes it feels like nothing has really changed." He said, his voice sounding unusually tired.

"And is that a good thing or a bad thing?" The egyptian sniper asked. The question itself was serious, but there was still a playful undertone to it.

"Depends on the situation." 76 answered quite bluntly.

Ana quickly chuckled. "I see why you were the first one chosen to not be a part of the party."

Though 76 quickly grunted and looked away at the remark, Ana knew he didn't take it as hard as he was letting on.

"What are you looking at?" The old soldier suddenly asked. Ana followed his look, until she also saw Fareeha, with a rather large projected screen in front of her.

"I'm just following the celebration as it's shown on TV." The egyptian quickly explained.

"Just be sure to be ready when we land." 76 quickly warned.

"I'm ready now." Fareeha nonchalantly answered without taking her eyes off the screen.

76 leaned back in his chair, defeated, and decided to just fall in small talk with Ana. However, as they did so, Hanzo noticed something.

"For watching a celebration, you're expression is more akin to trying to solve a riddle." The archer noted.

"I'm just nervous, that's all." The egyptian answered. She then quickly added "You can also call me paranoid."

"No, it's well-founded." Hanzo denied.

"How so?" Zarya now joined in on the conversation.

"For the past weeks, there hasn't been one person who didn't know where most of us would be right now." Hanzo obliged in explaining.

"It would be beyond easy to set a trap there, despite the security." Fareeha summarized while looking at the russian with quite serious eyes.

"I see." Zarya plainly responded. "Then-"

"Quiet." 76 suddenly broke the conversation. "We're here."

Everyone immediately silenced themselves and readied their weapons, as 76 went over to the hatch on the side of the ship.

The rest of the team quickly gathered behind him.

A rumble going through the ship signaled that they had landed. And the hatch opened soon after.

"What... happened here?" 76 asked in disbelief as his weapon fell to his side. No one answered as they were all in shock over what they were seeing.

To say the hanger, which had apparently previously belonged to Talon, was in chaos would be an understatement. In several places, flames were spreading and consuming the surrounding area. Thankfully, the ceiling was high enough for the smoke to not be dangerous.

Apart from the fire, the very walls and floor of the station were bent and crooked, somewhere even crumbled like paper, with bullet holes piercing almost everywhere the eye went. But that wasn't the worst. The worst was the bodies.

The hangar was littered with bodies of various Talon operatives and some scientists. Some were missing some limps, some were just torsos, and some were somehow lodged into the walls. Almost all of the bodies were also bent in some sort of unnatural, morbid way. Either the arms were folded backwards, the legs were bending forward at the knees or some were even folded in complete halfs.

Still in disbelief, 76 took a step into the base and was immediately greeted with a splashing sound.

Looking down, the old soldier saw the fires reflected in pools of blood seemingly everywhere, giving the entire hangar an eerie look.

"Never in my entire life have I..." Ana started as she also stepped out. But she quickly gave up on finding words to describe what she was seeing.

"A massacre would be an understatement." Hanzo noted from the other side of 76.

"What could have possibly-" Zarya was about to ask, when she was silenced by 76 raising a hand. Now quiet, the team was only met with the sound of crackling fires. And a small cough.

Turning right, the team saw one of the bodies lying near an open door was still writhing in pain. Alive.

Ignoring how every step threw more drops of blood on their clothes, the team rushed over to the survivor.

Once they reached the woman, 76 immeidately recognized the orange, blood-soaked hair and sharp face.

"Moira." He exclaimed while kneeling down next to her. Her face was lying on it's right side.

Upon hearing her name, Moira, seemingly with all of her strength, turned her head. Fareeha let out a gasp.

The metal plate she had once had on her face had been ripped off, leaving her flesh and blood-veins exposed. And upon further examination, her metal nails and the augments along her arms had also been ripped out, opening for even more blood.

As Ana knelt down on her other side, Moira looked up at her.

"He was a mistake... even bigger than Reyes." She mumbled in between coughing up blood and trying desperately to get some air into her lungs.

Suddenly, her eyes locked onto 76 and with her last energy, she said "If you find him, run. Forget your pride and... run."

"Who?" Ana tried asking as calmly as possible.

Moira turned towards the egyptian sniper and looked at her for a few seconds. And then she fell limp. She was dead.

The team was silent the following few seconds, no one daring to say anything after that ominous warning.

Eventually, 76 picked up his rifle. "Come." He said as he stood up and everyone followed his eyes. The hallway in front of them was just as ruined and blood-soaked as the hangar. Whoever did this came from there.

With a quick nod from Ana, the team began their journey through the hall.

As they continued forward, the team eventually stumbled upon a place where the lamps where so soaked in blood, the light was purely red for a little while.

"Jesus." Fareeha mumbled to herself at the sight.

No one responded. The team simply pressed forward while constantly on their guard. And they continued like that for quite a while.

After a few silent minutes, Hanzo suddenly stopped. When the rest turned towards him, they saw what had caught his attention: A large burnt area on the wall.

The archer carefully touched the area with the edge of his bow, and as expected, a corpse burnt beyond recognition fell down from it.

While the others gathered around the body, likely trying to figure out why this one was so much more wounded than the others, 76 saw something on the ground.

"Here." The old soldier said. Showing it to the others, it was the broken pieces of Reaper's mask.

"She did say whoever did this was a bigger mistake than him." Ana pointed out.

"Though I never would have expected this." 76 admitted. "Must have been a hard-fought battle."

When no one responded to his remark, the old soldier turned to the rest of the hallway. "The trail leads here. Let's go."

He immediately began to move, forcing the others to move as well. They slowly made their way through the rest of the base, encountering no further signs that were out of the ordinary. For this bloodbath anyway.

Eventually, the team reached the end of one of the corridors they had followed. In front of them was an open entrance to what looked like some sort of control-room overlooking a testing-area. The door laid on the floor in front of it. In another pool of blood.

When 76 stepped on the door, several squishy sounds could be heard from underneath. He decided to ignore it and went inside.

Once the entire team was inside, the old soldier took a single step forward. A sudden, sharp sound from Fareeha stopped him dead in his tracks.

"What was that?" 76 asked, but he didn't get a response. What little of Fareeha's face was visible under her helmet had an expression of surprise.

"Sorry." She eventually responded. "It was just the anniversary. There was an incredibly loud sound from it." She then explained.

"I have a bad feeling about this." 76 mumbled to himself, hoping none of the others heard. "Fareeha, keep us updated on what happends to them. The rest of you, this seems to be the source of the massacre. See if you can find anything."

With either a swift 'yes' or 'understood' from everyone, 76 turned back towards the broken windows overlooking the test-area.

The glass shards were all lying in the control room, which meant the breach came from the other side. Sure enough, some sort of test subject had escaped Talon.

"Still, I wonder just what kind of things they were doing with whoever that was." The old soldier kept mumbling to himself. A habit he had started to pick up.

"Found something!" Hanzo exclaimed rather abrubtly, shaking 76 out of his thoughts.

"What?" Ana asked while everyone gathered around the archer.

"It looks like an archieve of security recordings." The archer responded while keeping his gaze focused on the screen.

This immediately caught everyone's interest.

"Can you play them?" 76 didn't hesitate to ask.

"Unfortunately, it would seem almost all of the recorders were damaged during whatever happened here. However, if we watch the last thing they managed to pick up, it should be possible to retrace what happened here." Hanzo quickly answered.

"Do that. And start from in here." 76 ordered.

Without answering, Hanzo dug through the recordings for a few seconds. Eventually, he found what he was looking for and a large projected screen appeared.

For the first few seconds, everything seemed normal. But suddenly, things took a twist.

Sounds of screams, equipment being broken and flesh being torn apart quickly filled the entire room.

After just a few minutes, the screen turned to a solid static. Hanzo quickly found the next tape and played it.

Halfway through it, Fareeha suddenly exclaimed a "Wait." As Hanzo paused the video, everyone turned towards her.

"You... should see this." The egyptian said, her voice seemingly trembling. Before anyone had a chance to ask, she brought up her wrist and following the pressing of a few buttons, another projected screen appeared. The anniversary. Live.

"Oh god." 76 said under his breath as he almost didn't believe what his eyes were telling him.

After a few seconds, he turned towards Fareeha. "We have to warn them. NOW!"

"But there's no guarantee the signal will go thro-" "I don't care!" 76 cut her off. He was desperate. Incredibly so. "We have to try, or else they could get killed! And if we can't reach them, then we'll just have to fly over there ourselves!"

"Shimada." The soldier then said. "Keep watching the videos. If you find anything of use, say so. If not, then just download them as quickly as possible!"

With a swift nod, Hanzo went to work.

"The rest of you, try to get through until he's done. If you get through, give it me!" He then ordered everyone else. With more nods, the team began trying to save their unaware comrades.

* * *

Totally unprepared for the stranger's willingness to fight them, Winston and Lena just stood and watched as he made his way up to the stage.

Not only Lena and Winston, but the crowd also just stood in silence and watched as he walked up to the stage. There, he stepped straight up.

Now on equal footing, the stranger took a quick glance over at the rest of the team who was watching in stunned silence. Angela Ziegler, Torbjorn Lindholm, his daughter Brigitte, Hana Song, Reinhardt Wilhelm, Lucio Correia dos Santos, Mei-Ling Zhou, Jesse McCree, Genji Shimada, and finally, Winston and Lena.

With his intense gaze locked on the duo, the stranger reached up and threw his cap towards them, revealing short, unusually white hair.

"Well?" He asked. "Were we going to fight, or were your threats as empty as your promises?"

For a few seconds, a tense silence filled the entire area, no one moving a muscle. Suddenly, a voice cut through the silence.

"Al? A-alexander?" The voice asked. The stranger turned in its direction and met the questioning gaze of the blue-eyed girl from earlier.

"Hey Nat." The stranger, apparently named Alexander, softly responded with a smile. "Don't worry, we'll catch up later."

With a confirming nod from Nat, Alexander turned back to the duo. "Still as slow as ever. Perhaps you just need some motivation."

In just a few swift moves, Alexander removed the brown jacket and threw it towards the duo, exposing the hole in the back. As Winston picked it up, he noticed something further. Around the hole, blood was quite clearly present.

"There." Alexander taunted. "Aren't you going to enact your oh so important justice on me now?"

"You killed someone? For this?" Winston asked, for some reason in disbelief.

"I was in a hurry." Alexander shugged it off like it was nothing. His eyes, which had previously been looking everywhere, suddenly locked onto Lena and Winston. "In a hurry to get here. Otherwise, I might have missed this glorious opportunity!"

As he spoke, Alexander slowly made his way towards the duo. It wasn't hard to imagine what he'd try to do when he reached them.

"Hey!" Angela suddenly called out from the back of the stage as he grapped one of Alexander's arms. He immediately stopped. "I think you should calm down and just leave before this escalates into something worse."

"And what would that be?" Alexander asked as he slowly turned towards her. "Would it be that someone got hurt? Would be that some of the scenery got destroyed? Or would it be that your precious public image would shatter?"

"What?" Angela asked back, honest to god confused.

"Well, it doesn't matter." Alexander commented. His eyes then suddenly locked onto Angela like they had on Winston and Lena. "They'll all happen anyway."

Then, with unexpected strength, Alexander suddenly reached forward and grapped Angela around the throat.

The swiss doctor, surprised, instinctively tried to grap his arm and pry it away. But aside from feeling weird, it was completely immovable.

"Let her go!" Lena shouted at Alexander as she charged at him. However, she was hit by something and fell back. When she sat back up, she couldn't see anything on Alexander that could've hit her.

"Wait for your turn." Alexander said calmly, yet still with malice.

Turning back to Angela, who was starting to make some unpleasant sounds, Alexander smiled. "This is for-"

 _BANG_

"NOOOO!" Nat shouted as her brother let go of Angela. He then slowly fell back, his left eye and the area around it utterly blown out by McCree's Peacekeeper.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry about another cliffhanger. But the reason I do this, is because then this chapter won't be overloaded with too many different things. And it will also give me the opportunity to properly focus on the next chapter and provide you with something I'm proud of. Thanks for understanding and until next time.**


	4. Declarations

**A/N: Please allow me to apologize for the long wait for this chapter. While it did take longer than I wanted it to, I am currenctly in the midst of a quite busy time in my life, so there's unfortunately not a lot I can do about it for now. Thanks for understanding, and let's continue where we left off.**

* * *

"MCCREE! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!" Winstin roared across the stage at the cowboy. His skin was visibly a bit more red.

"He was obviously going to kill the doc'!" McCree argued back in an equally frustrated and angry voice. "Did you expect me to stand by and do nothing?"

"No, but killing is only, and only, a last resort! Not the first thing we jump to!" Winston responded. "Besides-"

Both the gorilla and the cowboy silenced their loud arguing at the sudden sound of heavy footsteps. Turning towards it, they saw the girl Alexander had spoken to running up towards the stage.

"AL!" She shouted, seemingly not caring about any attention she was drawing to herself.

After quickly jumping onto the stage, she ran over the motionless body of Alexander and knelt down next to him.

"Al! No, please. Al, no..." She said, clearly cracking down. As tears began to steadily roll down her face, she took Alexander's equally motionless hand in her own.

"Al! Don't come back so suddenly just to leave me again! Please! Don't go. I've missed you so much. DON'T GO!" She cried out. She then just began to sob while resting her forehead on Alexander's hand.

Winston sent McCree a quick glance.

Finally shaken out of her surprise over what had happened, Lena stood up and slowly approached the crying girl.

"Nat was it?" The brit carefully tried while approaching. "Listen, I'm terribly-" "Don't come near us." Nat hissed without looking up at her.

"What?" Lena asked in surprise.

Nat finally raised her head. With her red, teary eyes, she looked up at Lena with unexpected and incredible resentment.

"All you've ever done is cause pain and suffering to us." Nat said through her sobs. Her tone was as hostile as her glare. "So, DON'T COME NEAR US!"

Lena not only stopped but took a few steps back. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you're-" "Of course you don't!" Nat cut her off.

"You don't care about any of us! If you did, I wouldn't have been alone for an entire year!" Nat continued. "You're the root of all our problems!"

Suddenly, Nat stood up and almost charged at a completely unprepared Lena. But just as she was about to close the distance between them, she stopped.

Looking just as confused as the rest of the people on the stage, Nat slowly turned back. Towards Alexander.

Following Nat's gaze, Lena also saw what had stopped her. Alexander's hand was holding on to her wrist.

A tense and uncertain silence filled the area. A low chuckle broke it.

"You haven't changed at all Nat." Alexander said. Nat looked at him in disbelief and astonishment as he slowly raised his head and sat up.

Ignoring all the gazes on him, Alexander continued until he stood up. "But like I said, we'll catch up later. So please, get somewhere safe." He said with genuine concern.

"Al..." Nat said, her voice a mix of surprise and disbelief. "I... no!" She surprisingly refused. "I won't leave you again!"

Alexander just smiled at her. "At all? It will be very dangerous to stay here."

"I don't know what will happen to you if I leave you alone again. And I don't want to know!" Nat affirmed what she wanted.

"I see." Alexander simply responded, not putting up any further resistance. "But please, step back."

With a quick "Okay.", Nat took a few steps back while looking at her brother. Stopping near the edge of the stage, she turned towards the Overwatch members.

Like his sister, Alexander also turned towards them. Every single one of them looked at him with disbelief. It brought a slightly bigger smile to Alexander.

"How... are you...?" Angela was the first to ask out loud. But instead of answering, Alexander simply cackled.

"But... I shot you." McCree was now the one to try and talk.

"Yes." Alexander simply confirmed. He then extended a hand towards the cowboy and opened it. In his palm laid a bullet. "With this."

No one seemed to have anything further to say as silence settled in, undisturbed.

"Well," Alexander started, his attention now on every member of Overwatch instead of just one. "since the cat's out of the bag, I might as well try it."

Though nearly everyone briefly thought about asking what he meant, no one eventually dared.

Alexander took a short but deep breath before he seemed to tense every muscle in his upper body. And slowly, something unidentifiable began to take shape on his shoulders.

Once a few seconds had passed, the older brother relaxed his muscles. And as soon as he did, a flowing, dark crimson cape elegantly appeared on his back.

As the cape wrapped itself around Alexander, covering everything from his shoulders down, the wearer himself looked up at Lena.

"What do you think?" He asked, the confidence and malice from his gaze spreading to his voice.

"I..." Lena desperately tried to respond. But yet again, no words were found.

"Well, a dead person's opinion doesn't really matter." He hissed through his smile. He then slowly extended one of his arms from under the cape towards Lena. It was covered in a metallic armor, layered like scales on top of black cloth, with a sharp edge on every finger.

As he looked intensily at Lena, Alexander heard a small metallic sound to his right.

"Come then. Repay the debt you've been denying with every breath you've stolen." He said while clenching his visible hand.

Alexander was about to take a step forward when a sudden beeping sound interrupted everything. Though he seemed hesitant, Winston answered it without taking his eyes off Alexander, who just stood and looked at him in anticipation.

"76 I assume?" The gorilla asked, a bit of annoyance in his voice.

As Winston stood and listened to the call, his face went from cautious to one of disbelief. "W-wait. Why?" He suddenly asked.

"This guy?" Winston continued to ask as his gaze became fixated on Alexander. "He did what?" The gorilla asked out loud again, though this time, there was more surprise in his voice.

Following a sigh, Winston looked like he had reached a conclusion. "Okay, I'll try to resolve this peacefully."

An audible "No, wai-!" could be heard from Winston's device as he closed the conversation.

Seemingly with renewed determination, Winston turned towards Alexander. "What exactly do you want from us? Money?"

"I... want nothing." Alexander answered as he dramatically placed his armored hand on his chest. He then suddenly began to back away until he stood next to Nat.

"We... on the other hand." He exclaimed while placing an arm around a visibly uncertain Nat's shoulders. "We, would simply like you to repay your debt to us. That is all."

"And what is this 'debt'?" Winston sternly asked back.

Upon hearing that question, Alexander's smile complete dissapated from his face. With deadly serious eyes, he quickly ran a few fingers down Nat's cheek, caressing it, before he stepped towards the gorilla.

"You still don't get it?" Alexander asked in a voice as serious as his expression. "Then allow me to spell it out for you: You, Overwatch, you ruined our lives! You took what we held the dearest, cast it aside once it wasn't of any use to you, like a used toy! And then you proceeded to act like you're the one in the right!"

As he continued to make his way across the stage, Alexander's cape fell behind his back, revealing his entire body was covered in black cloth, with some scale-like armor here and there.

Alexander's gaze slowly glided over to the other members of Overwatch. "So, you ruined our lives, caused them irreversible damage! Now it's our turn to do the same to you."

Without giving them any chance to react, Alexander suddenly began to walk towards the other members of Overwatch.

Once in range, he swiftly extended a hand out towards the nearest member, Angela.

A sharp sound of metal hitting metal echoed throughout the stage.

When Angela opened her eyes, she saw Genji standing in front of him. He wakizashi was the only thing between Alexander and himself.

"I don't know what we did to you, and I'm sorry if it caused you pain, but killing is never the answer." The cyborg ninja tried while pushing his wakizashi against Alexander's palm.

"I tend to agree." The assailant unexpectedly complied. He then began to push harder against the blade, drawing oddly dark blood from his hand. "That's why I didn't say I'd kill any of you. I can't ruin an ended life, now can I?"

Without expecting an answer from the ninja in front of him, Alexander suddenly pushed even harder against the blade. As the top of his hand was cut off, the still pushing Genji ended up stumbling a few steps forward.

Mere seconds before regaining his footing, the cyborg felt a hand around his neck.

"Which is why you'll all survive this. To remember this." Alexander almost whispered.

Before he had any chance to try and free himself from the unusually strong grip around his neck, an agonizing and burning pain pierced every corner and part of Genji's body.

Genji let out a cry of anguish as small sparks began to fly from the rapidly heating metal of his body. The other members just stood in disbelief. After a few seconds, a short burst of lighting shot out from Genji's shoulder, hitting a projector which quickly burst.

After a few further, agonizing seconds, Alexander let go of Genji, satisfied. As the smoking body of the cyborg landed heavily on the stage, Angela couldn't hold back. She quickly ran over to him and knelt down.

"Genji!" She tried while touching him. However, she quickly retracted her hand, as touching his body resulted in sizzling sounds and more smoke. But he was breathing. Thankfully.

"Now then..." Alexander started quite thoughtfully as his cape once again wrapped itself around his entire body from the neck down. "Are you volunteering?" He asked the kneeling Angela in front of him.

As he slowly reached for her with a covered hand, he suddenly stopped when a voice cut through the otherwise silent stage. "DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!" It sounded and Alexander turned towards it while retracting his hand.

Upon turning towards the source, Alexander was greeted by McCree, pointing his Peacekeeper at him. Again.

"McCree..." Winston said, though not as commanding as before. But he was stopped when Alexander held a hand towards him.

"No..." He calmly exclaimed. "Let us see how Overwatch solves all their problems." He then streched out his arms to either side, exposing his body, and closed his eyes.

McCree aimed at him. But the finger around the trigger twitched. He didn't pull it.

After a few seconds with internal debate, McCree lowered his gun. Alexander let out a low but victorious cackle.

"I see." He simply said, before he turned around towards Angela again. He took a single step forward.

"Stop!" A completely unknown voice suddenly said, which was quickly followed by Nat. "AL!"

Immediately turning towards his sister, Alexander saw one of the spectators had snuck up behind her and was holding her hostage.

"Leave. Now. Or she gets it!" The spectator tried to intimidate Alexander into leaving. But it had the opposite effect.

Every muscle in Alexander's body tensed and somehow seemed to fluxuate, as his breathing, for the first time, became unstable. "I..." He started as he raised a hand towards the spectator.

"AM GOING TO FLAY YOU ALIVE!" He roared across the stage, the reverbarations and something in his voice made it seem almost demonic.

Upon closing his extended hand, Alexander's piercing and utter hatefilled eyes briefly flared a bright red. But before the spectator could manage to react, something wrapped itself around his feet. And in a split-second, he was hoisted up over the crowd of other spectators, upside down.

As everyone turned towards the hanging spectator, they saw he had some sort of metallic ring around his feet.

Not wasting any time, Alexander extended his arms out to either side and closed his eyes, concentrating. And as his feet let go of the stage, he retracted his arms and let his cape cover him again.

With opened, glaring eyes, the hovering Alexander briefly looked around him, at the stunned members of Overwatch below him.

As the sight caused a smile to appear on his lips, Alexander brought his arms out form under the cape. Both of them were holding a serrated dagger.

"Oh god." Winston let out. Angela covered her mouth and Lena took a few steps back. All at the realization.

Turning his eyes to the hanging spectator, Alexader's expression became one of fiery hate again. And then he slowly started ascending towards him.

When Alexander finally stopped in front of him, the absolutely horrified spectator looked at him. "P-p-please..." He begged. "P-please, I didn't intend to-" The spectator cut himself off as began to scream in utter agony.

Winston didn't know whether it was good thing or a bad thing, but Alexander's cape and body was covering for whatever he was doing.

At first, all that could be heard were the unfortunate spectator's screams and wails. But suddenly, another scream was heard from the crowd.

Turning towards it, the members of Overwatch saw, to their horror, one of the spectators had been covered in blood.

Sure enough, blood was now starting to fall from the horrrifying mutilation that was happening above the spectators, onto them.

Finally shaking off his complete horror and disbelief, McCree realized that, as the only one that had a weapon that could reach Alexander, he had to try something.

He quickly aimed his Peacekeeper at him, as best he could with shaking hands, and desperately pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the cape. Then a quick spark and the sound of metal hitting metal appeared. And Alexander continued, completely unfazed.

McCree looked at him in astonishment. He then gritted his teeth and desperately fired the remaining bullets. Every single one of them had the same reaction as the first.

Lena fell to her knees. Angela and Brigitte were slowly backing away. Hana was covering her ears. Lucio was covering for a stunned Mei's eyes. Nat was looking at her brother with an unreadable expression. And the gathered crowd was quite quickly dispersing.

* * *

As the rest of the team just stood in stunned silence and looked at the projected screen, 76 hit one of the walls, making a visible crater in it.

* * *

The screams stopped as suddenly as they started.

When the Overwatch members turned towards him, Alexander was completely still. He then suddenly dropped the daggers, which quickly dematerialized like dust in the wind.

"I hope you don't get the wrong idea about me or my intentions." Alexander suddenly spoke. And even though he was all the way up in the air, he could still be heard clearly. Somehow.

"I take no pleasure in actions like these." He continued in a voice that seemed to indicate that he had calmed down again. "However..." He added as he raised one of his hands.

"An example must unfortunately be set." He finished. With a quick snap of his fingers, the skinless spectator fell.

The body landed on the pavement with a sickeningly squishy sound and the blood from it soon began to run through the spaces between the rocks in the pavement.

After having let the shock settle in, Alexander turned around towards the stage and threw something towards it. With further squishy sounds, the detached skin landed on the stage.

The members of Overwatch who didn't turn away in an attempt to not throw up, just looked at it in stunned silence. And when they turned towards Alexander, he was looking at them with a cold glare.

After a few seconds, Alexander sighed and looked down at a kneeling Nat. His eyes briefly showed some surprise, before he began to slowly decend down towards her.

With unexpected elegance, Alexander's feet once again connected with the pavement right in front of Nat.

"Nat." He softly said while looking down at her. When she looked up at him, he extended one of his hands towards her.

Though visibly shaking, Nat carefully accepted the extended hand. And when he had a firm grip around her, Alexander pulled her up in a standing position.

"I won't let anything happen to you." He whispered into her ear. "Never again."

Upon hearing his voice, Nat's eyes widened for a split second. Then, with tightly closed eyes, she wrapped her arms around Alexander's right arm.

The older brother looked at her for a few seconds, before he turned back to the stunned Overwatch. He was smiling.

"Don't mistakingly believe this means I'm done with you." He said, his voice and expression both serious but also confident.

"After all, justice comes for all." He continued as he extended his left arm, exposing his cape's black under-side to them. "As you yourself all seem to believe." He finished.

Lena was about to approach him, but she stopped when the cape's under-side suddenly lit up like a flashbang, briefly blinding everyone.

Just as everyone shut their eyes to avoid looking at the light, Alexander's victorious laughter began to fill their ears.

Once the light seem to die down, Lena carefully opened her eyes. Alexander was gone and only faint echoes of his laughter remained.


	5. Learning

Alexander took a step back and looked around him. He was in the living room of a rather expensive-looking apartment, with access to every other part of it from here.

Right in front of him were a couch, two chairs and a coffee table. Behind him was a TV and some sort of decorated mantelshelf under it. And to his right were windows with view over the scarlet skyline.

Usually it was the opposite way around, with Alexander looking in, not out of those windows. The thought made him briefly smile.

Done surveying his surroundings, Alexander turned back to what stood in front of him: A visibly distraught Nat. The sight quickly wiped the smile from his face.

The older brother quickly snapped his finger, and as his cape dematerialized like his daggers, he put a hand on Nat's shoulder.

"Was it too much for you?" He asked in a low and sincere voice. Nat quickly looked up at him.

"N-no!" She answered. "No, it's just... it's all so..." She tried to continue, but her words eventually failed her.

Alexander let out a sigh before he took Nat by her wrist and lead her over to the couch. As she sat down on the couch, Alexander himself took a seat in the chair next to her.

"Nat, listen." He calmly asked and she immediately obliged, turning towards him in silence. "I... I'm sorry."

When Nat didn't say anything in response, he decided to continue. "I realize that I've been gone for just under an entire year. And then I return, only to do something like this. I... wouldn't hold it against you, if you thought differently... more negatively, about me now."

As he spoke, Alexander could hear as the uncertainty slowly spread in his voice. But he did nothing to hide it. He didn't want to hide anything from Nat.

Done speaking, Alexander looked at Nat. She just sat and looked at him in silence for a few enigmatic seconds. Then her eyes suddenly opened wide.

"No! You know I would never think poorly of you or anything you choose to do!" Nat argued.

"Really?" Her older brother cautiosly asked.

"Of course!" Nat immediately responded. "I'm indescribably happy that you're here with me again. And I could never believe that you would do anything unjust. Not after everything you did for me, when..."

"Okay, I get it." Alexander quickly intervened. Nat was starting to get the distant look in her eyes she got when she thought about their past. Not memories to be brought up now.

His younger sister quickly returned to reality at the sound of her brother's voice. She looked at him for a happy while, until she turned her head away from him.

"But..." She started. Her older brother felt as concern began to infect him.

"It was so hard." Nat said in a voice that was suddenly getting unstable. And her eyes, which looked out the windows, were beginning to tear up.

"Hey, hey." Alexander tried to comfort her in his most comforting voice, as he got out of his chair and sat down in front of Nat.

"You..." Nat continued in a voice that was on the border of breaking. "You were gone without a single trace but a note. Just like dad was. And I feared... that you were gone. Like him. That I would never see you... see the only person in this cruel world that cared about me, again. I..."

"I'm here." Alexander cut her off before she started to go too deep. He quickly sat up next to her on the couch, before he embraced her and let her rest her head on his cloth-covered chest.

"I'm right here. And I'm not going anywhere. Never again." He softly said. Nat didn't respond but just softly wept into her brother's chest, a confusing maelstrom of different emotions whirling uncontrollably around inside her. He quietly let her while occationally stroking her hair.

The siblings just continued to sit like that for a couple of minutes. Eventually, Alexander thought her sobbing had died down enough and he took the chance.

" _Guide me through the endless night~ And save me from my endless fright~_ " He sang in a low and comforting voice. Nat immediately looked up at him. " _Guide me to the saving light~_ " He continued while looking back at her.

" _And show me what is truly right~_ " Nat finished.

"You remembered it." Alexander noted with a smile.

"As did you." Nat also noted. And even though her eyes were still red, she was smiling.

The two just sat and looked at each other for a few seconds, until Nat suddenly lowered her head. Her older brother looked at her concerned.

"Just... please." She said. "Tell me. Where were you, for the entirety of last year."

Though initially taken a bit aback by the request, Alexander quickly regained his senses. "I suppose that's only fair." He said.

The older brother slowly let go of Nat, who didn't seem too pleased about it but didn't object. He then turned towards the windows. "In all honesty, it all started way before I left you. It started on my way home the night I dissapeared." He started his tale.

* * *

The atmosphere around the table was not a pleasant one, to say the least. Every member of Overwatch was feeling a degree of either shame or dissapointment. Except for 76, who just radiated pure frustration.

"I..." Winston started. He held his head low as he looked out over everyone else. The only two who weren't present were Genji, who was still unconcious, and Angela, who was tending to him.

"I don't have anything to say when it comes to the event itself. It was a horror, to be sure, but instead of continuing to wallow in it, we should look forward." The gorilla said with his most encouraging voice. "This new threat seems to be more dangerous than any we have faced before. And because of that, we should make sure to deal with it as quickly and safely as possible."

"Uhm?" Brigitte said and Winston turned towards her.

"Yes?" The gorilla encouraged.

"From what I heard him say, it seemed like he was going after us and not trying to hurt anyone else." She carefully pointed out.

"While you are correct about his crossheirs being locked squarely on us," Torbjorn explained. "he does seem like the kind of fella' who wouldn't care who gets caught in the crossfire."

"Just look at that spectator." 76 bluntly pointed out.

"Yes..." Brigitte just responded as rather gruesome memories reappeared. Torbjorn sent the soldier a quick glare.

"Now," Winston broke off the awkward silence. "the safest way to approach him would be to first figure him out. How, and more importantly why, he does what he does. And having reviewed what they found, I can say the mission to the distress-signal thankfully answered some of the bigger questions."

Winston quickly pressed a few buttons and the table swiflty started glowing blue. And then a 3-dimentional hologram appeared.

"This blueprint is likely the most vital part of what was found." Winston explained and everyone immediately turned towards the blueprint.

The hologram showed a hexagonal shape with some sort of hook sticking out from each corner. On the device itself was a whole lot of circutry and a somewhat large cylinder. "This is a nanobot." Winston summarized.

After spinning around for a few seconds, the hologram stopped and Winston pointed towards the hooks.

"As far we've been able to analyze, this seems to have three basic functions: The first is that every nanobot can emit a single, concentrated light-beam." Winston explained in a simplified language. "The second function is that it can conduct an incredible amount of electricity for its size. And the third is that it can replicate itself and attach together with the hooks."

After allowing for a few seconds of silence to let it all sink in, Winston added "And his body is almost entirely composed of these things."

"And his cape and armor, it would seem." 76 added from the sidelines.

"Yes." Winston admitted.

The room was almost silent as no one really knew what to say after that. Then Lena turned towards him and said "But how did he fly though?"

"I... haven't figured that out." Winston admitted in defeat. "Not yet, anyway." He quickly added.

"And how the hell are we supposed to beat someone like that?!" McCree was now the one ask, though his voice was a bit more aggresive than Lena's.

"I... haven't figured that out either." Winston admitted once again. However, he quickly rose his head with determination. "But that's what we'll figure out."

As everyone looked at him with various degrees of confusion, the gorilla elaborated. "Me, Torbjorn and 76 are going to look through these findings more thoroughly to see if we can find any solutions. And if we can't, we'll come up with one on our own. And while we do that..."

Winston suddenly turned towards Ana. "I would like you, Lucio and Mei to rewatch the confrontation and see if you can find any clues in what he says as to his motivations. See if you can figure out why he is doing this."

With just a determined nod from Ana, Winston turned towards the rest. "But just because he is our largest threat, that doesn't mean he is our only one. The rest of you can continue as normal or try to assist us if you believe you can. But if something happens, you're the ones going out there. However, I would also like you to just take a quick look at the findings to see if you can find anything. Understood?"

Everyone around the table nodded with just as much determination as Ana.

"Dismissed." Winston then finished with a bit more confidence than when they started.

* * *

"And that's really all there is to it." Alexander finished his tale about his time as a lab rat for Talon.

For a few seconds, Nat just sat and looked at him in stunned silence. Eventually, she opened her mouth.

"I'm sorry you had to go through with that. Just for me." She deeply and sincerely apologized.

"If I hadn't wanted to do it, they couldn't have forced me." Alexander quickly responded in a calm voice. "I chose this."

Though she didn't say anything further, Nat just looked up at Alexander. In response, the older brother stood up and went over to her. And as he softly placed a few fingers under Nat's chin and lifted her gaze up to meet his, he said "And besides, this give us the possibility for something we could previously never even hope for."

"What?" Nat asked in a distant and slightly blurred voice.

"If we play our cards right," Alexander responded while he slowly retracted his fingers. "We can finally have our revenge over Overwatch."

"Overwatch..." Nat just said, like the word was completely alien and new to her. Her face suddenly lit up as if she'd realized something. "But, won't Talon come after you?" She asked with great concern.

"They won't ever be problem for us." Alexander reassured her. He then quickly knelt down in front of her.

"Are you sure?" His younger sister kept asking, clearly concerned.

"Something that no longer exists can't be a problem that still exists, now can it?" He asked, and even though it was still in a reassuring voice, there was an underlying darkness to it.

"No." Nat slowly answered, as the implications of the answer slowly dawned on her.

"However," Her older brother pulled her out of her thoughts. "Overwatch still exists. Our biggest problem still exists."

When Nat didn't say anything in response, he stood up and began to walk around the apartment. "I will need to be extremely careful with how I approach this."

"Why?" Nat asked confused. "You seemed like you could've easily dealt with them back there, though?" She asked.

"That was only because they didn't know about me and I caught them off-guard." Alexander argued back. "If they come at me with a planned-out assault, I would likely stand little chance. However..." He added as he turned towards Nat.

"If I'm not careful, they could find out about you." He said with a melacholic smile. "And even before our vengeance, I want us to be able to remain together."

Upon hearing those words, Nat smiled at her big brother, who smiled back.

"So, in short, it's a question of time. Whoever can figure the other out first will have an immesurable advantage." He thoughtfully said. He then began to slowly pace over towards the window.

"I don't want to just kill them. They must suffer." He mumbled to himself as he approached the window. "In order to properly break someone down, I'll need to rob them of what they hold the dearest. Oxton is easy enough, as is Lindholm and the Amari's. Ziegler is harder, but not an immediate threat. Perhaps I should just let the circumstances slowly get to her. But Zhou and the Shimada's are much harder. I'll need to think about them thoroughly before striking."

Upon reaching the window, Alexander looked down at the lit streets below them. "Going after them one by one would be too predictable though. I'll need some general hits as well. Robbing them of their support could do that. The financial kind from the UN and the moral kind from the people. But how...?" He pondered.

As he stood in silence and went over his options, a sudden noise from the streets below pulled him out of his thoughts.

Annoyed, Alexander opened the window and was about to shout that they should quiet down when he saw what was happening.

Below him, a woman was being threatened by three young men, one of which was holding a knife. Primitive, but effective.

A satisfied smile crept up on Alexander's face as he mumbled "Of course."

"Al?" A distant voice next to him suddenly asked. When he turned towards it, he saw Nat leaning up against the wall, her eyes distant and sleepy.

Alexander let out a low chuckle. "Sorry to take up so much time. I guess I lost track again." He apologized as he turned towards the window again. Outside, sure enough, the previously red sky was now black and lit up by a few stars.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." He then said as he extended a hand out to Nat. However, instead of accepting it, she instead wrapped herself around his entire arm.

"Only if you'll come too." She said in a sleepy voice. Al just let out a sigh. Whenever Nat was this tired, it was just as if she was drunk.

"I'll sleep on the couch, so I don't disturb you. I'll be up for a little while longer." He argued back, trying his best to sound reasonable.

"Really?" Nat responded in a clearly dissapointed voice. "But I want to sleep next to you again." She continued.

"That was only because we didn't have enough space for two different places to sleep." Her older brother argued back at her.

"Okay." Nat eventually gave in. With a smile and an internal sigh of relief, Alexander half guided, half carried her to the bedroom.

Upon returning to the living room, Alexander noticed that the window was still open. When he looked outside, he could see the woman was sitting and crying down below him.

"That's what I need." Alexander mumbled to himself, satisified, as he closed the window. "Allies."

* * *

 **A/N: I apologize if you found this chapter slightly slow or uneventful, but there were some important things that either needed explaining or setting up. But I promise that the next chapter will certainly move the story forward. So until then.**


	6. Recruitment

**A/N: In all honesty, this chapter could've been uploaded a few days ago. But a few tweaks were determined to be necessary, and now I can upload something I'm much more proud of. Also, I know I've already said this, but the support for this story has honestly left me speechless. So from the burrom of my heart, thank you! And please keep it up!**

* * *

"Honestly." The omnic let out in his digital-like voice. He quickly closed the door with the name 'A. Eagle' on it and stepped inside his dimly lit office.

"If this doesn't prove it, nothing will." He continued to mumble to himself as he threw his briefcase onto the table. He then quickly moved his hands towards the chair when he suddenly stopped.

"Is someone there?" He asked as he retracted his hand.

The omnic slowly turned around and scanned his office. The bookshelves, cabinets and the TV were all standing the way he had left them. It seemed to be nothing. The omnic let out a sigh of relief.

"I was wondering whether you'd detect me or not." An unknown voice unexpectedly announced from somewhere in the office.

The omnic swiftly spun around and looked for the source. Eventually, a hooded figure stepped out of the shadow of one of his bookshelves. The omnic wondered how he hadn't seen him before.

"Mr. Eagle." The stranger said as he turned towards the aforementioned omnic. His face was almost entirely covered by the hood, the only thing visible was a confident grin.

"I see you know of me." Eagle said in a voice as calm as possible, as he turned towards the stranger. "But I do now know of you."

"Oh, but I believe you do." The stranger argued back. As the omnic just stood and looked at him, the stranger let out a sigh. "Mr. Eagle, if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead on the floor by now. But I don't. I just wish to talk. So please remove your hand from the alarm."

A twitch went through the omnic as he retracted the hand that had slowly been moving under the table. "Who are you?" He asked. "And where should I know you from?"

"Mr. Eagle, I'm the sole reason you were even able to call the failed meeting you just returned from." The stranger answered. And as the realization dawned on the omnic, the stranger smiled and snapped his finger.

The hoodie suddenly began to dematerialize like it was made of sand. But instead of blowing away, it kept circling the stranger until it started to attach itself to his shoulders. In a matter of seconds, Alexander had his cape again.

"You..." Eagle said out loud.

"Yes." Alexander just confirmed. "Though I'm unsure if you know my name. Well, no matter. Alfred Eagle, I am Alexander Caeden." He then introduced himself.

"Alexander Caeden..." Alfred said out loud as if to try it out. "How do you know what was discussed at the aforementioned meeting?" He then asked, becoming serious and focused incredibly quickly.

"You don't need to worry about that." Alexander dismissively responded. "All you need to know is that I have a proposition for you."

"A proposition?" Alfred asked.

"Indeed." Alexander simply confirmed as he started slowly approaching the still Alfred. "I am aware of your animosity towards Overwatch."

"A trait we seem to share." The omnic noted. Alexander smiled at those words.

"Yes. Though I am curius, why do you so openly despise Overwatch?" Alexander pryed while still approaching.

"Because they haven't properly apologized for the massive genocide of omnics they were responsible for during the omnic crisis! They have gotten by too easily, just because everyone saw us as the enemies during that conflict!" Alfred quite quickly explained with impressive passion for such a digital voice.

"But... what about you?" The omnic then asked and Alexander immediately stopped and his smile dissapeared.

"You needn't know about that." He answered in a defensive voice. "Only about my proposition."

Alfred stood and looked at him for a few seconds, as if he was judging his options. "I am not one to stare down the barrel of a loaded gun. Especially one as deadly as yours." He said. He quickly turned and went around the table. "What is this proposition of yours then?" He asked as he sat down in his chair.

"I'm happy you see it like that." Alexander noted in a voice that was both threatening and relieved. And as he sat down in the chair opposite the omnic, he explained.

"In short, I want you to work for me. Be my liason to the UN, my... translator of the political language, if you will. This has to be kept secret, of course, but it won't be too different for you. Just supply me whenever relevant decisions are made and occationally follow orders from me." He explained in a rather relaxed tone.

"I can see how that could benefit you..." Alfred thoughtfully responded. "But what do I have to gain from this arrangement?"

Alexander once again smiled as he leaned forward in his chair. "I can make your payback to Overwatch a reality. How does that sound?"

Alfred seemed briefly taken aback by the rather brash statement but he quickly regained his calm. "Are you certain you can make that happen?"

"Admittedly, if I was alone, it could be somewhat... difficult. But with your, and one other's, coorporation, our victory would be all but assured." He confidently responded as he leaned back in his chair.

"You drive a hard bargain, I'll give you that." Alfred admitted as he seemed deep in thought. "But why me? I'm not the only one with an anti-Overwatch agenda here."

"Perhaps." Alexander admitted. "But you're the most open about those agendas. To the average person and, if we're lucky, the other members of the UN, it won't seem as if anything's changed. But if someone else suddenly began pushing a previously unknown agenda, it could raise a few eyebrows."

"I see your point." The omnic responded. "But you do realize this puts an even larger target on my back, right? Even if concealed, it could be discovered."

"Rest assured, the success of my own goals rest on your survival and concealment. I will give you the full protection you ask for." He reassured the omnic in front of him.

"Hmm..." Alfred let out. And for a few seconds, he just sat in silence and pondered. He eventually looked back up at Alexander. "Lastly, explain to me why this is a better position than what I'm currently in?"

Alexander sat and thought about his answer for a few seconds before finally responded. "Mr. Eagle, I belive you know that answer yourself. When I, a few days ago, made my existence public at the anniversary, it gave you a reason to call a meeting to discuss Overwatch. And more importantly, it's possible destruction. But how did that go?"

"Shot down." Alfred responded in a neutral voice.

"And that was just the most recent." Alexander responded, trying his best to hide his mounting glee. "You're fighting a losing battle. But if you agree to this arrangement, I can give you arguments, reasons, irrefutable evidence, that Overwatch should be disbanded."

"What exactly would that evidence be, and how would you obtain it?" Alfred asked.

"That doesn't matter." Alexander quickly responded. "What matters, is that it would make you finally win. It could give you your payback."

Done convincing, Alexander let out a breath and looked at a thinking Alfred in anticipation.

Eventually, the omnic stood up and walked up next to Alexander, who also stood up.

"I accept your offer, Alexander Caeden." He said as he extended a hand.

"Happy to hear it." Alexander just responded as he accepted the hand. After a firm handshake, the omnic looked up at him.

"Protection-wise, I would like some sort of concealed escort for everywhere I go, 24-hour personal survaillance and a direct communications-line to you." Alfred wasted no time stating.

"I'll see to that." Alexander quickly responded.

"Than what are your orders for me, Mr. Caeden?" The omnic asked immediately after.

"For now, just alert me for anything relevant. But be ready." He ordered. It felt quite good.

"Understood." Alfred just responded.

"And, of course, this conversation never took place." Alexander then added.

"What conversation?" Alfred remarked.

"Exactly." Alexander responded with a smile. And when he turned around and left the room, the security-cameras came back to life.

* * *

Inside the assembly-room for the UN, no one noticed as a fly on the wall suddenly dematerialized.

* * *

"And that's a wrap people!" A woman declared to the crew all around her. "We're done for the day."

The men behind the cameras and monitors gradually relaxed and leaned back, while the news-anchors got up and left their stations in front of the cameras.

"Another hit, I'll bet." The woman mumbled to herself in a satisfied voice. She quickly scanned the enviroment, but nothing seemed out of order. It all functioned like a well-oiled machine.

With a smile on her lips, the woman began to stroll across the studio, over towards the anchor.

Once she saw her boss approaching, the anchor straightened her back and looked at her.

"You're getting good at this, Williams." Her boss playfully commented once she had reached her subordinate.

"Thank you, ms. Moineau." The anchor simply thanked as professionally as possible. It brought another smile to her boss.

"Becoming 6-News' new anchor would be a too daunting task for many, but it pleases me to see you're adapting quickly." She continued in a playful tone. "But really, we should try to do something about those glasses." She added as she bent over and reached for her subordinates glasses with a single finger.

Just before she managed to touch them, an unexpected and powerful wind blew through the entire studio.

"WHO FORGOT TO CLOSE THE DAMNED DOOR?" Ms. Moineau asked in a loud voice to drown out the wind as she stood up again. But as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished.

"Find out where that came from!" The boss quickly ordered. And as a few personnel suddenly ran, she turned back around and sighed.

Moineau quickly looked down on herself to make sure nothing had been ruined. But before she was done, every light in the entire studio went out.

"Wha-" She started, but the lights returned before she could manage to finish.

"Ms. Moineau." A voice suddenly adressed, and not only Moineau, but everyone in the studio turned towards it.

On the desk they had just used under a minute ago sat the familiar presence of Alexander. His cape was running from his shoulders, down his back and down behind the desk. His body was covered in the same armor as before and he looked at Moineau with mild curiosity.

Nearly everyone in the studio immediately stood up or took a few steps back. Except for Moineau, who just looked at him.

"Well, well, well." She exclaimed at the sight. "You're the person I was least expecting to run into. Not that I wasn't wishing for it." She added, continuing in her playful tone.

"I can't imagine why anyone would wish to meet me." Alexander started. "But if that is the case, then you can consider that wish granted." He finished with a small bow.

"You're a polite one." Moineau noted. "Not what I would have expected."

"I have a tendency to surprise people." The intruder responded. "Sometimes it can help, sometimes... it can become somewhat of a liability."

"And what is it now?" The head of the unsure crew asked, continuely in her playful tone.

"That depends on what your next response will be." Alexander responded. Moineau crossed her arms and looked at him in anticipation. "In short," He explained. "I want to talk with you, one-on-one."

Moineau just stood and looked at him for a few seconds, seemingly unsure how to respond. She then began to chuckle. "My, you're not the first one to ask that." She said.

"I can imagine." Alexander responded. "Though I can assure you, my intentions are very different than those others."

"Oh?" Moineau simply asked in anticipation.

"Ms. Moineau," One of the crewmen operating the cameras suddenly exclaimed as he turned towards her. "I must say, I object to any sort of interaction, with this... monster." He said, though his voice sounded a bit unsure.

"As do I." Another crewman, likely an editor, joined in the objection.

"And I." Williams said as she rose. She spoke with quite a bit more confidence than the previous two.

Moineau let out a sigh, but before she had any chance to actually say anything, Alexander jumped down from the desk. All eyes turned towards him as his cape wrapped around his body.

"I can assure you, on the honour of my name, that I have no ill intentions in mind." He assured with a hand on his chest.

"What sort of honor do someone like you have?" The camera man asked, clearly the biggest opposer. "Someone who kills like you did."

"I can assure you, that was an isolated incidence. I was provoked. And if no one here provokes me, I will not act in any undesirable way. Although..." He said, as a hint of malice suddenly appeared in his gaze. "Even if you decided to do something, what would that be?"

As the cameraman suddenly seemed confused over the question, Alexander turned towards him.

"What would you do against me?" He asked as he brought a finger up to his neck. "Would you shoot me? Burn me? Electricute me? Perhaps call the cops and have them fail in attempting so the blame wouldn't fall on you? Tell me..." As he spoke, Alexander drove his finger across his throat.

"How would you do anything against me?" He asked as blood started running from a gash in his thoat.

A devilish smile crept up on Alexander's face as the camera man just stood and didn't know how to respond.

"That's enough." Moineau suddenly interrupted. Seemingly obeying her, Alexander retracted his hand and the gash closed itself as easily as it had opened itself.

"You're right." He agreed before turning towards her. "This isn't what I came here for anyway."

"You wanted to talk with me, right?" Moineau asked. "It's this way."

With a satisfied smile on his face, Alexander turned back around and followed Moineau as she walked towards the exit of the studio. Once they were outside, Alexander turned towards her.

"You didn't intervene when I scared your subordinate?" He asked.

"I'm not going to willingly step into the crossfire of someone who doesn't know when they are out of their league." She responded.

"They learn more from their own mistakes than if someone swoops in and saves them?" Alexander proposed.

"Among other things." She casually answered. But as soon as she had, the playful look returned to her eyes as she turned back to Alexander. "But nevermind them. You wanted to be alone with me, and I'll be happy to oblige." She said, the playfulness also having returned to her voice.

Choosing to ignore the wording of the exclamation, Alexander followed the head in contemplative silence. The pair continued to walk until they reached the 3rd floor.

"Come on in." Moineau quickly invited as she opened the door.

"Thank you." Alexander simply thanked as he stepped inside. The room mostly consisted of a large, metal table with several seats around it. On the opposite wall were windows overlooking the studio they had just left and to the right were a door with the sign 'Private Office'.

Instead of bothering to go further in, Alexander simply stepped over to the window and looked out over the studio. He wasn't blind to the fact that some of the people in the studio quickly turned away when he appeared, but he just let it slide.

"Well?" Moineau said, a playfulness once again present in her voice. "To what do I owe the honor of meeting the Demon of King's Row in person?" She asked as she sat down in one of the chairs.

"I see the media has already bestowed a nickname onto me." Alexander noted without turning around.

"Is that really a surprise to you?" Moineau asked as she looked at him in anticipation.

"Not that I've been given a nickname, no." Alexander answered. "Merely the speed at which I got it."

"The efficiency of the media can be surprising to some at first." Moineau admitted.

"And you aren't nervous to be alone with someone with that nickname at all, ms. Moineau?" Alexander asked as he finally turned around and faced her.

"Please, call me Scarlett." She surprisngly responded. "And no, I am more intrigued than anything else. You're such an interesting character, I can't help but try to figure you out."

"I'm flattered." Alexander said with a quick bow. But he quickly straightened himself and spoke with renewed intensity. "I'll be blunt: How would you, and be extension 6-News, like to work for me?"

For the first time, Scarlett seemed taken aback. But she swiftly returned to her playful self. "My, that is surprising. What could I possibly have, that could be of interest to you?"

"The support of the people." Alexander responded. He then unexpectedly turned around and asked a seemingly irrelevant question. "Tell me, what kind of news do you like to report on the most?"

"Huh?" Scarlett accidentally blurted out in surprise. She quickly regained herself and answered. "The scandals and the shocking."

"I thought so." Alexander responded. "Why?"

"Because that gains attention. Talk about how a cop peacefully disarmed a hostile individual, and you'll gain some attention. But talk about how it escalated into a deadly shootout, and suddenly the traffic can easily triple." She answered honestly.

"I see." Alexander thoughtfully said. "But as far as I've been able to see, you're gradually talking less and less about those kinds of stories."

"That's because they're rarely happening anymore." Scarlett answered in a slightly annoyed voice.

"Overwatch has bleached it all. And not only is it bad for business, but it is also boring, yes?" Alexander said as he turned his head and looked at her.

"Yes, incredibly so." Scarlett agreed in Alexander's conclusion.

Alexander quickly chuckled before he turned around and sat down in front of her. "Well, in that case, allow me to present you with a solution: Me." He said, earning a raised eyebrow from the woman in front of him.

"I could understand from your speech at the anniversary that you have some sort of personal vendetta against Overwatch. But where do I come in?" She curiosly asked.

Alexander smiled before explaining. "Aside from providing you with the biggest scandal of your entire career, I would be willing to give you exclusive information that could make your news-station the best place to gain knowledge about what's happening. And in exchange, I ask of you to manage both my and Overwatch's public images to fit whatever I ask. How does that sound?"

"Very... alluring." Scarlett answered in a voice that also had a hint of seductiveness now. "But why me? There are other, more trusted news-stations you could choose."

"True." Alexander admitted. "But you're the most popular and, more importantly trusted, independent news-station. All the other stations that are more trusted than you are government-funded. And it would be strange for a news-station that recieves money from the government to criticize how that money is spent, since some of it also goes to Overwatch's budget."

"You're a lot smarter than you let on." Scarlett said.

"Thank you. Though I'm unfortunately not so smart when it comes to how to shape public opinion." Alexander both admitted and hinted.

"I would be willing to help you with that problem..." Scarlett playfully said as she pointed a finger at Alexander. But then it moved over to the windows. "But I doubt everyone out there would be willing to work for you."

"They won't work for me." Alexander casually answered. "They'll be working for you, same as always. You're the only one with any sort of change in superiors."

Now it was Scarlett's turn to chuckle. "I see. I agree to your deal."

"Great." Alexander responded, but quickly followed it up with "Any sort of conditions?"

"As long as you keep your end of the bargain, I'll keep my end. No further complications needed." Scarlett answered. And after another chuckle, she leaned back in her chair and looked at Alexander. "Well, any orders boss?"

Alexander looked deep in thought for a few seconds before he answered. "While Overwatch will come later, I was thinking we could try to mend some of the-" "SECURITY, OPEN THE DOOR!" Alexander was rudely cut off by banging on the door.

"My my, it would seem someone was a bad boy and overstepped his boundaries." Scarlett noted in her usual tone.

"I trust you can silence of these sorts of... insurrections?" Alexander asked, remaining completely calm despite the constant banging on the door.

"You think I can't keep my own in line?" Scarlett asked, playful as always.

"I prefer to remain on the safe side. At least for now." Alexander responded earnestly.

"A smart attitude." The head of the crew noted. "Unless I tell you otherwise, consider everything on my end under control." She eventually answered.

"Good." Alexander said. And as he rose up from his seat and walked over to the window, he said "We'll continue another time, when we hopefully won't be interrupted."

"I certainly hope so." Scarlett said with a smile. And with a quick smile back at her, Alexander opened his cape and it blinded her for a few seconds, just as on TV. Opening her eyes, Alexander was gone and security finally managed to get the door open.

* * *

"Al?" Nat carefully asked as she entered her apartment. There were some odd, metallic noises coming from the living room, which made her a little nervous.

She slowly made her way to the entrance of the living room and looked inside. Her older brother was standing in the middle of the room, with his hands behind his back, looking at something she couldn't see.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips.

"Just come in, Nat." Alexander said without turning towards her.

After recovering from the small shock, Nat entered the living room and put her bag down on the table. She then walked up next to her brother and saw what he was doing.

Alexander was looking at a lot of metal components which were floating in the air, attaching and detaching from each other, in front of him. There were wires, screws, and big and small plates of metal.

"What are you doing?" Nat curiosly asked, assuming it was her brother that controlled that metal.

"Trying to figure out a solution to a problem." Alexander answered while he swiped left with his right hand. The fact that one of the wires attached themselves to a plate confirmed Nat's assumption.

"What problem?" Nat kept asking.

"If it is possible for me to create devices others than me can use, and if so, how." Her older brother responded. "It would make keeping things in order a whole lot easier."

"What things?" Nat kept on asking.

Initially, Alexander didn't respond. He just sighed and turned around. "I suppose I should let you in on what I've been up to." He noted as he walked over to the couch and table with Nat right behind him.

The older brother quickly sat down and explained, though in little detail, how he'd gotten the promised assistance of Alfred and Scarlett.

"I see." Nat just said once he was done explaining.

"Of course, I will be doing most of it myself, but it is nice to have others take care of things I'm unsure I could handle myself." He admitted as he leaned back in the couch.

He just sat like that for a few seconds with closed eyes, until he noticed an unusual silence from Nat.

Turning towards her, Alexander saw she was looking at him with a weird look in her eyes.

"Want to say something?" He asked with a bit of uncertainty.

"Can... I help in anyway?" Nat cautiosly yet still sincerely asked.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Alexander immeidately objected with something akin to a roar. Nat was briefly shocked and her brother quickly stood up. "Nat, I do not want to hurt you in any way! And while I appreciate the offer, I will under NO circumstances allow you to willingly place yourself in any potentially harmful situation!"

With his intentions made clear, the older brother spun around. He quickly walked over to the floating contraption and refocused on it.

"Come on!" Nat argued back. She quickly ran up to her brother and looked at him. "You're doing all this stuff, and I feel like I don't provide any support. I feel like... a liability."

Alexander audibly sighed before he turned towards her. "Nat, no matter where or when we are, you will never be a liability to me. You provide me with moral support, you're my reason for still being! Isn't that enough?"

"No!" Nat disagreed. "If all I can do is provide you with moral support, then I don't feel like I'm making an actual effort to help you. I'm just something you have to drag along."

"But I just want you to remain safe, I don't want anything bad to happen to you." Alexander tried, both his expression and tone becoming more disheartened and desperate.

"And I'm supposed to be fine with you doing the exact same thing?" Nat asked. "You're only gonna throw yourself into more danger in the future, and you expect ME to do nothing?"

Alexander sighed as he placed his hands on Nat's shoulders. "Nat, I-" "Just, please. Make me feel like more than something you have to constantly care for." Nat cut him off.

Alexander didn't say anything. As he reached up and gently touched her cheek with his left hand, he averted his eyes and looked down. That's when he saw the floating contraption in the air. An idea was beginning to take form. His eyes slowly went over to the windows overlooking the city.

"Nat..." Alexander slowly started. His younger sister looked up at him in anticipation. "If you insist, then... I... I may just have an idea for how you could help."


	7. Kingcraft

**A/N: Some reviews, or more specifically the ones by ZombieSlayerOfTheUnderWorld and DEXE, have asked about what Alexander is based on. And in short, he isn't really based on anything specific. Sorry if that was** **anticlimactic. Originally, he just started out as one simple concept: An overpowered character in the Overwatch universe. And the rest, like his personlity, backstory, etc. were all developed from that. So, in short, that's how Alexander came into being. Hope that answered your questions. Now, on with the story!**

* * *

"Al?" Nat asked as she entered her apartment. It was unusually quiet. There were no sounds of metal or mumbling like there had been in the last few days.

"Ah, Nat, come in here." Her older brother quickly responded upon hearing her voice.

With renewed certainty, Nat entered the living room, only to find her brother standing and looking out the windows with his hands on his back.

"Al?" She carefully asked, but he didn't seem to respond. She took a slow step forward.

"Nat..." He finally responded and she stopped dead in her tracks. "You... are absolutely certain about this?"

Nat looked at him in silence for a few seconds until she realized what he was talking about. "Yes." She answered with surprising confidence.

"I see." Alexander just said. His voice was quite low and somber, which was unusual for him. "And I assume there's nothing I can say to dissaude you at this point?"

"No." Nat responded with the same confidence as before.

"Then... just promise me one thing." Alexander asked. "Promise me, you won't take any unnecessary, stupid risks. Promise me, you put your own life above all else in this, even my own." He slowly turned around to face his little sister. "Promise me... that you will not get hurt because of my lust for vengeance."

"Al, I want to help you to the best of my abilities." Nat surprisingly responded.

"I know." The older brother admitted. "But just promise me you won't end up destroying my reason for still being in the process." He almost pleaded as he extended a hand and caressed Nat's cheek. "Please?"

"I... I promise." Nat finally agreed. Her brother let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you." He said, relieved. "Thank you."

Once he was done, Alexander retracted his hand and looked at Nat with serious eyes.

"I need to tell you something." He unexpectedly said as he turned back around to look out the window.

Nat didn't respond verbally, but just looked at him in anticipation.

"I've been... experimenting, but every time I think I'm onto something, it ends in fire and frustration! The contraptions I've been working on, I can make them, yes, but all they're good for is lighting a campfire. I'll need further assistance." He explained before turning back around. "I'll be going to Italy. I don't know how long I'll be gone for, but I'll try to get it done as quickly as possible. And then return to you."

Nat stared at her older brother in disbelief for a few seconds before she even responded.

"Why?" She simply asked.

"I just told you, I need further assistance." Alexander calmly explained.

"But what if something happens to you?!" Nat passionately objected to the idea. "What if something happens and... I'll be nowhere near to help you?"

Alexander looked at her in silence. Then he smiled at her. "You know I can take care of myself. I promise, just as you did, that I'll return with not even a single scratch on me." He said. But when he looked at Nat, she didn't seem fully convinced.

The older brother quickly let out a sigh before gently grapping Nat's shoulders. With closed eyes, he then leaned forward and rested his forehead on hers.

"If you keep your promise, I'll keep mine. Please." He whispered.

Nat stood completely still and looked at Alexander. She then closed her own eyes as she responded. "Okay. I will keep it."

"Thank you." Alexander sincerely thanked before pulling back.

"Now..." The older brother continued. "Though I'll be gone, I won't leave you on your own. I never will. Never again."

As he said those words, made that promise, Alexander reached forward with his right hand.

"Here." He said. "These were the only thing I could do for you. And least. Though we may not be completely together, we won't be completely apart either. Not with these."

As her brother spoke, Nat carefully took the gifts from his hand and held them like they were made of fragile glass.

With his gifts given, Alexander extended his other hand and briefly embraced his sister in a tight hug.

"Once I return, there will be no more prolonged depatures. Then it'll just be the two of us, and we'll be ready for anything." He said. As they let go of each other, he added " _Guide me through the endless night~_ "

" _And save me from my endless fright~_ " Nat continued with a melancholic smile.

With a swift, comforting smile, Alexander walked past Nat, out into the hallway and out the door.

* * *

"Ms. Moineau." A voice broke the mentioned chief out of her thoughts.

"What?" She asked as she turned around to face the messenger behind her.

"I've received word from security about an enigmatic package that's been delivered. They say they want you to personally come and take a look at it." The messenger explained as professionally as humanly possible. Upon hearing that, Scarlett's face lit up in a smile.

"Ah, yes. Tell them I'm on my way." She quickly responded.

As the messenger nodded and walked away, Scarlett turned back around. "I'll be gone for a little while. You fellas just keep up the good work here, 'kay?"

While none of them seemed particularly pleased, all the editors in front of her just nodded.

With a satisfied smile, the head of the crew turned around and strolled across the studio.

"Ms. Moineau." A voice asked, making her stop and turn towards it. "Is it from... him?" The projectionist asked, raising a few heads around them.

"We don't know that yet." Scarlett just answered in her playful tone. "Now, just be a good boy and wait for me here."

Now free from further obstructions, Scarlett left the studio and swiftly made her way down the hallways of the building until she reached security.

"Ah, Ms. Moineau." The head of security, an omnic, exclaimed in his digital voice as he saw her approaching.

"Something about a package?" She quickly asked to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"Yes, it's through here." The security omnic confirmed before leading her through a few more hallways and doors. They eventually arrived at a room where another security officer, a middle-aged guy, was sitting in front of a table with a very small cardboard box on it.

"Is that the one?" Scarlett asked with both surprise and a bit of mockery.

"Yes." The human officer confirmed as he stood up. "It has no sender or return-adress, so naturally, we tried to open it."

"But?" Scarlett asked, sensing something was awry.

"Well, look for yourself." The officer off-handedly responded while he handed the box to her. She quickly turned it around in her hands until she noticed something.

"There's no opening?" She asked, as both her interest and examination increased in intensity.

"No." The omnic confirmed. "But it did come with this." He handed her a folded piece of paper. ' _For Moineau. She will know._ ' it read. She promptly took the note to read it more clearly.

"Well, do you?" The human officer asked her before she even had a chance to properly think about it. She was quiet for a few seconds until she turned towards the omnic.

"Yes. I'll take this from here. Thanks for the notice, by the way." Scarlett answered as professionally as possible. She then swiftly moved for the door when the omnic stopped her.

"One more thing." He said. "Is this connected to the notice we got a few days ago?"

As Scarlett looked at him, thinking of a response, she could almost feel as his eyes dug into her for answers.

"No." She sternly responded. "I thought I explained it was all just a misunderstanding."

The omnic kept looking intensily at her for a few more seconds. "You're free to go." He eventually said.

"Thank you." Moineau quickly said before stepping out, not waiting for any obligatory 'Have a good day's. As she made her way down the hallways, she looked at the box in her hand. "What do you wish of me now?" She mumbled as she turned it in her hands.

Moineau stopped dead in her tracks as she looked at the box. There it was. The opening. Had she not seen it, or had it appeared just now?

"Well, whatever." She just spoke to herself. She then briefly considered going back to the studio, but her curiosity got the better of her.

With a quick hand, the box was opened and Moineau looked down, only to see a single item.

"Hm?" The chief exclaimed to herself as she took it out. It was a vial of blood with a note on it. ' _This should allow you to identify someone Overwatch failed_ '

A smirk crept up on Moineau's face as she stuffed the vial in her pockets. On the way back to the studio, she made sure to dump the cardboard box into a bin.

* * *

"Excuse me, sir, but are these seats taken?" A voice broke Alexander out of his heat-induced slumber.

The brit, who was leaned back in his chair, lowered his sunglasses so he could see who asked. In front of him were two omnics wearing black suits and a human guy wearing a purple suit.

"Nah, go ahead." Alexander nonchalantly responded while pushing his sunglasses back up to cover his eyes.

"Thank you." The human guy asked before the trio sat down. They quickly fell into talk in italian, although it was very quiet.

Instead of eavesdropping on the new arrivals, Alexander instead turned his head around and scanned the area around the café, when he noticed something. On a nearby TV, an interview was taking place. Though it was in italian, there were thankfully english subtitles.

" _And, dr. Tivoli, I can understand that this achievement was not yours only, and furthermore, that there are those who you would like to thank?_ " The interviewer asked.

" _Indeed._ " The doctor apparently named Tivoli responded. " _While there are a lot of people who I'd like to give my thanks, like the team I worked with, one person who deserves it more than any other, is american dr. Neil Caulfield. For without his research on communications-techonology, we would not have been able to accomplish this._ "

Upon hearing, or rather reading, those words, Alexander raised an eyebrow before turning towards the human of the trio around his table.

"Say, could I borrow your phone?" The brit asked.

"Sure." The guy absentmindedly answered before throwing his phone towards Alexander. "The code is-" "I'm already in." Alexander cut him off.

The guy just shrugged before returning to his conversation with his compatriots.

"Two candidates..." Alexander mumbled as his fingers went across the phone in a search of information. After a few seconds, he let out a sigh. "That one's a fluke, huh?"

He quickly returned to his search. And after a while, his face seemed to lighten up with intrigue. "Now this one though..." He mumbled as he began to more intensily read what was on the phone. And after a few more seconds, he even chuckled. "This is just perfect."

With a few more presses, Alexander brought the phone up to his ear.

"Hey, Nat." He said. "Remember what we said you could do? Well, I've just found something better. Say, I would really appreciate it, if you said the following instead."

Once he had explained everything, Alexander turned back towards the TV. "Yeah, that's it. Mhm. What? Oh no, this won't extend my travels by much. A day if something inconvenient happens and two at most. I promise. See you then."

Done with his call, Alexander closed the phone and threw it back to the owner.

"Now that I'm done," He said, and the guy looked at him. "why don't you tell me, why you've come out here personally." Alexander leaned forward in his chair and lowered his sunglasses for unobstructed eye-contact. "Caesar?"

As soon as he said that name, both the omnics stood up from their seats and aimed their hidden guns at Alexander's head.

"Ho?" Caesar just said with pleased surprise. "You already knew me?"

"Of course." Alexander responded like it was the most obvious thing ever. "Someone like me can't come to Venice without doing a little research on the Crimson Legion."

"And what are 'someone like you'?" Caesar asked with amusement.

"Someone with power." Alexander directly answered.

"Correct." The italian responded as he stroked his blonde hair. He then looked up at his two omnic bodyguards. "You can lower your guns now, by the way." He ordered.

"Oh, that won't be necessary." Alexander quickly reassured and Caesar turned towards him with an interested expression. With a swift snap of the brit's fingers, the barrels of the guns split in two.

As the omnic bodyguards looked at the remains of their guns, Caesar just looked on in amusement.

"See?" The italian asked. "This is the kind of power I was talking about." He then turned his head towards Alexander. "We could both benefit greatly if you worked for me."

At first, the brit just smirked in response. "While I also have my ideas about a partnership between us, I take it this isn't an optimal place for... these kinds of negotiations." He said as he turned towards the rest of the filled café.

"No." Caesar agreed. "Too many potential witnesses and eavesdroppers."

"My thoughts exactly." Alexander said as he turned back to the italian in front of him. The two then looked at each other for a few seconds.

"Come." Caesar eventually said as he got up. "I have an apartment nearby we can use." He almost ordered while he turned around and was about to leave.

"One question first." Alexander, who remained seated, said.

"Oh?" Caesar just responded when he turned back to face him.

"Why risk yourself by meeting me in person, instead of just sending a lackey?" The brit asked.

"If the king doesn't move, then his subjects won't follow." Caesar responded instantly and with the expected confidence.

"An interesting philosophy." Alexander noted. The brit then got up, and as he straightened his simple t-shirt, he noted "Well, lead the way."

* * *

A knock on her door pulled Emily out of her half-sleep on the couch.

After finally managing to stand up, she looked out the window, only to see that it was the middle of the day, where most people were at work.

"Who on earth would knock at this hour?" She mumbled to herself, clearly baffled. But she couldn't think long, as another round of knocks pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, yes, I'm coming!" Emily blurted out as she made her way towards the wooden door.

"Yes?" She asked as she opened the door. On the other side stood a woman wearing a black suit and skirt with raven-black hair pulled back in a ponytail. But it was her eyes that caught Emily slighly off guard. They were brown, but they also looked at her in an intense, almost unnatural, way.

"Emily Reed?" The woman asked. Her voice sounded surprisingly young in comparison to her body and features.

"That's me." Emily answered, still a bit groggily.

"My name is Catherine Crawford. May I come in?" The woman asked, unexpectedly direct.

"Sorry, but I'm a bit tired. Can you come back tomorrow?" Emily tried asking politely.

"Even if what I want to say can save Lena Oxton's life?" Catherine stated. Emily was immediately shaken out of her sleepy state.

"What?!" Lena's girlfriend asked out loud, completely awake and present now.

"It would be dangerous to talk about out here." Catherine responded with a weary voice. "May I come in?" She then repeated her question.

Emily was silent, contemplating what would be best to do. She could be lying. But if she wasn't, then Lena could... "Sure." Emily finally answered as she stepped aside.

"Thank you." Catherine said before hastily stepping inside and walking into the living room.

"So?" Emily asked, clearly sceptical of the newcomer yet still willing to hear her out. "What did you want to say?"

"Alexander Caeden." Catherine responded.

"What?" The redhead asked, somewhat baffled.

"That's the name of the mysterious guy who attacked Lena and the rest of Overwatch a little over a week ago." The raven-haired newcomer explained. "And he is beyond dangerous. If they don't proceed with the utmost caution, he could end up killing them all."

Emily was silent, once again contemplating. "Apart from the name, which could easily be false, everything you just mentioned could be gathered at the anniversary. Why should I trust you, exactly?" She eventually asked.

Catherine let out a sigh. "I had hoped I wouldn't need to do this. But if it's the only way you'll trust me..." She admitted before suddenly throwing something at Emily.

"This should prove I know what I'm talking about." She said. Emily looked down in her hands to see what this proof was: A black ID-card.

* * *

 _Name: Catherine Crawford_

 _Date of Birth: 14/7/2050_

 _Unit: R &D - Cerberus Division_

 _Role: Chemist, biologist and emergency nurse_

 _Direct Superior: Moira O'D_ _eorain_

* * *

Along with that information, there was also two pictures. One was of Catherine herself, though in the picture she had glasses and her hair was quite shorter. The seconds picture was some sort of emblem.

Emily kept looking at the emblem, until she noticed something. It completely matched the description Lena had given of the icon Talon used. And Moira O'Deorain, hadn't Lena also mentioned her? A scientist working for Talon?

"You're..." Emily started.

"Someone who worked for Talon? Yes." Catherine admitted as he took the ID and placed it back in her pocket.

"Are you here to...?" Emily suddenly asked in a scared voice as she started backing away.

"No, no no no!" Catherine quickly tried to reassure her. "I'm not here to harm you."

"How can I trust you on that?" The redhead kept asking while still taking one more step back.

Catherine looked at her for a few seconds. "Listen, if I was truly here to harm you, why would I have revealed that I'm a part of Talon? And furthermore, if Talon for some reason wanted to harm you, why would they send a single, unarmed scientist?" She tried arguing logically.

Emily stopped backing away. "That... is a good question." She reluctantly admitted. "By why are you here then?"

Catherine let out a sigh. "As you just read, I was a part of Cerberus Division. And it was us that created the... monster known as Alexander Caeden. Or as you know him, the Demon of Kings Row. And in our hubris, we thought we could control him."

The raven-haired woman looked at Emily for a few seconds with a melancholic expression. "I am the only survivor from that entire base." She finally let out.

"You're saying...?" Emily stated in shock.

"My friends, my colleagues, the entire science personnel, the entire combat personnel, O'Deorain, everyone was slaughtered without a second thought." She stated with both some sadness and some regret in her voice.

Catherine was silent for a while before continuing. "So don't think I'm coming over to 'the good side' or whatever you call it. I'm not. But what I am, is the only survivor of the team which created that murderer. And because of that, I want to do whatever I can to bring him down. Both for everyone else's sake, but also so my sanity won't be shattered by guilt."

With her confession done, Catherine stumbled over to the couch and sat down in it while looking at the ground.

"Okay." Emily eventually said and her visitor looked up at her in surprise. "I'll choose to believe you."

"Thank you!" Catherine sincerely thanked.

"But why did come to me?" Emily now asked as she sat down next to her.

"Despite what I feel about them, it's a fact that Overwatch has the best chance to take him down." Catherine started explaining with her gaze firmly locked on the wooden floor.

"Then why didn't you just go to them?" The redhead inquired yet again.

"Are you crazy?" The raven-haired guest asked, completely serious. "Even if I knew how to do that, what do you think they would do, if a member of Talon just walked up to their door?"

Emily thought about it thoroughly before saying anything. "I see." She just answered.

"That's why I've come to you." Catherine then said. "You're Lena's girlfriend. She trusts you. So if I just gave you what I know and think, then you could pass it on to her and Overwatch. That way, I can help without constantly having to watch over my shoulder as much."

"And what if they ask where I got your information from?" Emily immediately asked.

"Then... you can just say you got it from someone named CC." Catherine answered.

"CC?" The redhead asked with both confusion but also a bit of amusement.

"It was my nickname... back at Talon." Catherine admitted with some embarrassment.

"I see." Emily simply responded. When her visitor looked back at her, she was met with a gaze that was both curios but also sceptical.

After a few silent seconds, Catherine let out another sigh. "You don't have to completely trust me immediately. But if you would just give me this one chance, I promise you I will earn it." She both admitted and asked.

Emily just kept looking at her. "Fine." She eventually gave in. "Whatever it is you have to say, it better not be a trap."

"I promise, it isn't!" Catherine said desperately.

"Okay." Emily said. "Then, what do you have?"

* * *

"Here we are." Caesar said as he stopped and turned around. In front of him, Alexander stood and looked with just slight disinterest at their destination: A very luxerious apartment with several decorations and an unobstructed view over Venice's channels.

"Is this a result of your own work or a hereditary gift?" The brit asked as he and Caesar entered the apartment.

"My own work." The italian proudly answered. Once they were both inside, he gestured for Alexander to sit in one couch while he himself sat down in one opposite it.

"So..." Caesar started, but he trailed off when he noticed something. Alexander was sitting and mumbling something.

"... four, five, six, seven in total." The brit said before removing his sunglasses and throwing them onto the table between the two couches. "The number of hidden bodyguards." He explained before Caesar had a chance to ask.

The italian chuckled. "I applaud you." He said before turning his head around. "Just come out now."

Slowly, two human men and one woman appeared behind Caesar, while four others appeared behind Alexander.

"You don't take any chances." Alexander calmly noted without looking behind him.

"Not with the Demon of Kings Row. Even I haven't been able to obtain such an impressive nickname by the media." Caesar responded with not a lot of seriousness.

"It wasn't my own choice." Alexander quickly dismissed. He then leaned forward and his expression became a lot more serious. "But we aren't here to discuss nicknames, are we?"

"No, we most certainly aren't." Caesar responded with a delighted chuckle.

"But first..." The italian suddenly said. "I would like to confiscate whatever weapons you have on you." When Alexander raised an eyebrow, he quickly added "It's just common practice, nothing personal."

"I'll choose to trust you on that." The brit answered. "Although I'll say in advance, you won't find anything."

"We'll see about that." Caesar calmly dismissed the claim. He then waved for one of the guards behind him, and as the woman walked over to Alexander, the brit stood up.

Once the search was complete, she turned towards Caesar. "Nothing sir." She quickly said.

"Really?" Caesar said with a voice of over-exaggerated surprise. "Well, you chose to trust me, so I'll choose to trust you."

Without another word, the woman went back to her spot behind Caesar while Alexander sat back down and looked at him in anticipation.

"So?" The brit asked as he leaned back. "You mentioned something before, didn't you?"

Caesar looked at him for a few seconds, as if evaluating him, before he spoke. "I want you to join the Crimson Legion. Become my right hand man and I can make you filthy rich."

Alexander just looked at him, seemingly in disbelief. He then began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Caesar asked in a tone that was suddenly not so playful.

"Oh, it's just that you've completely misunderstood my intentions. You see, my heart, like everyone else, is driven by a desire. However, that desire is neither wealth nor power. It is actually a very simple thing, which is needlessly difficult to optain." In a moment, all amusement vanished from Alexander's features. "Revenge. Against Overwatch."

As those words were uttered, Caesar's interest seemed to briefly increase. And Alexander noticed that.

"That got a reaction, didn't it?" Alexander said with a smile. Though it was a very unnatural smile. "Imagine it." He slowly and enticingly said. "The flag with the Overwatch logo ingulfed in flames, their base in utter ruins and their lives... finished, in a bloodbath as glorious as they come!"

As he spoke, Caesar seemed to forget about everyone else in the apartment and just looked at Alexander.

"Sounds alluring, doesn't it? Giordani?" Alexander asked with a victorious smile on his lips.

A twitch went through Caesar as his surname was spoken. "I see you know more about me than I thought."

"Only a fool enters negotiations with no idea about his opponent." Alexander responded while maintaining his grin.

Not sure on how exactly to respond, Caesar just leaned back like Alexander and looked at him, anticipating where he would go now.

"But..." The brit suddenly spoke with unexpected melancholy. "I am afriad that is not a likely future if I went and agreed to your deal."

"And why is that?" Caesar asked, a little annoyed at the comment.

"Because if it were you who would make the final desicions, you would not make it to that future." Alexander bluntly stated. "Granted, you have a lot. You have power, you have charisma. But you lack two important things: Cunning and speed."

"Are you saying I'm slow?" Caesar asked equally as bluntly while leaning forward and looking intensily at Alexander.

"No, far from it." The brit quickly defused the italian's anger. "I'm merely saying your cunning and speed cannot surpass those in charge of Overwatch."

"And yours can?" Caesar asked with slight mockery but also some intrigue.

Instead of answering the question, Alexander just chuckled again. "You have a television in this lavish place, right?" He asked before surveying the apartment and quickly finding it. "Great. Turn on 6-News, the british channel."

"Why?" Caesar asked, now a bit weary of what this newcomer was thinking.

"Why should I give you empty promises and confirmations when I can give you proof?" Alexander simply answered.

With his eyes still on the brit, Caesar motioned for his bodyguards to turn the TV on. An omnic bodyguard emerged from behind Alexander and turned the television on, before quickly changing the channel.

" _-ve recently identified the unfortunate victim Overwatch failed to save in time._ " The anchor, who Alexander recognized with a smile, spoke. " _DNA tests have confirmed it to be one Silas Lee, who has been an avid fan of the organization for years. However, finally being near them in person unfortunately didn't mean he was saved from his gruesome fate. We have reached out to both his family and Overwatch for statements, but_ -"

"Wasn't the body recovered by authorities before it could be checked?" The female bodyguard cautiosly asked.

"Yeah, they did." Caesar answered while muting the TV. "Even the smallest pieces of it are completely unobtainable, even on the black market."

"But not from the person who did that to him." Alexander added with a victorious and confident tone. When Caesar turned towards him, he saw the brit was holding a vial of blood.

"I'm assuming that's his?" Caesar asked, although he already knew the answer.

"Correct." Alexander confirmed before throwing the vial behind him for one the bodyguards to catch.

"And I assume that means 6-News answer to you." Caesar kept inquiring, although he was now quite a bit more calm and collected again.

"Their boss, if nothing else." Alexander answered honestly.

The italian looked up at him. "While not the entire spectrum, I at least have a firm grip on the heart of Britain's independent news-media." Alexander explained.

"And with a hand around a heart, one can control the beat." Caesar completed.

"Exactly." The brit agreed with a devilish grin smeared across his face.

Caesar sat for a few seconds and went through his thoughts. This guy, Alexander, had only appeared a little over a week ago, and yet, he already held sway over the independent media of his home country. Moreover, he had shown himself to posses power that scared even the likes of Overwatch. His promises didn't seem impossible. No, they actually seemed realistic. This guy, he just might be able to win.

"Say I decided to agree..." Caesar slowly and thoughtfully started. "And the Crimson Legion became another pawn in your game, what would I, or perhaps we, gain from it?"

Alexander chuckled yet again as the bodyguards around him looked at their boss in shock.

"Boss, you aren't seriously considering-" "Shut up!" Caesar unexpectedly ordered across the room. All the bodyguards immediately straightened their backs in silence. "I am not saying anything definitive yet. I'm just negotiating so far." He then explained.

"Is the internal conflict over? Can I continue?" Alexander calmly asked from his position in the middle of everyone.

Caesar slowly turned towards him. "Sure." He eventually said.

"Thanks." The brit halfheartedly thanked. "You asked what you would gain from it. You, as the sole son of Antonio Giordani, would be able to finally enact your vengeance on Overwatch. However, the Crimson Legion could also benefit from this. You clearly aren't in any financial problems, but if you agreed to this, you could call yourselves the gang that helped in finally ridding Overwatch from the world of crime."

"And use that as a bargaining-tool to charge even more for our services than we do now." Caesar finished.

"Yes." Alexander agreed before adding "And I could also be willing to give you some of the leftovers from Overwatch."

"Leftovers?" The italian asked.

"Technology, costumes, trinkets, information, connections..." Alexander explained until he suddenly got a very dark look in his eyes. "And bodies. All of this could either be your own or sold on the black market. Both would seem to be worthwhile."

"Indeed." Caesar agreed in a thoughtful voice. "There are possibilites of expanding our reach here. Both financially and in terms of technology. But..." He added when he turned his eyes back to the brit in front of him. "What do you want from us?"

"To obey my orders." The brit bluntly answered, now back to his usual self.

"And what could those orders be?" Caesar kept prying, much to Alexander's intrigue and his confidence.

"Mostly to just do what you usually do. Theft, assault, assassinations. I would merely direct you to a specific time and place. Although I may also need you to act more like a private militia on special occations." Alexander explained.

"Doesn't sound too different." The italian admitted.

"No, but I will need you to establish some sort of forward base in britain, as that is where I will mostly be myself" Alexander added.

"Oh please, I could do that in my sleep." Caesar confidently exclaimed.

"Well, there's really only one way to find out." The brit calmly responded, diminishing some of Caesar's confidence. He then stood up, and with the bodyguards' eyes on him, he calmly walked over to Caesar, who also stood up.

"Indeed there is." The italian boss agreed. And with no further comment from either party, they shook hands.

"I have a private jet that can take me to Britain as soon as today. Want to join?" Caesar asked while he walked over to the windows.

"I'm afraid I have other business to attend to. Expect me to be back at around tomorrow evening." The brit swiftly denied the offer before turning around and walking towards the door.

"Well, I'll see you then, Demon." Caesar said as his last goodbye. The crime-boss then turned towards the guards that had stood behind Alexander.

"Now..." He said as he approached one of them, a human guy. It was the guy who had objected.

With one last chuckle, Alexander left the room as Caesar placed a hand on the visibly sweating guard's shoulder.

* * *

" _We have reached out to both his family and Overwatch for statements, but so far, we have recieved no response from either party. Should that change, we will update this story as soon as possible. But until then, we can only-_ " The news anchor spoke until she was suddenly muted.

"Of course you haven't recieved any response from us." Lena argued as she threw the remote back on the table. "We haven't gotten anything." She continued before pulling her legs up to her chest.

"They might have sent something though." Genji argued from his seat next to the brit. "But we may just not have received it yet, due to the security measures on our post and messages."

"Even then, they could have waited." Lena said with quite a bit of sadness in her voice. "I also don't like the way they worded it. It sounded... like they were blaming us."

"Perhaps. Although I was more focused on something else." Genji admitted.

"What?" The brit asked as she turned towards him.

"They say they got this from a DNA test. But what did they test? The body and everything with it was taken away." The cyborg explained in a thoughtful voice.

"Do you think they somehow-" "Sounds to me like you're divin' into some cospiracy theories." McCree suddenly cut Lena off. The brit quickly turned around and looked at the cowboy, who was leaned against the couch, with a grumpy look.

"You may be right." Genji agreed to the cowboy's statement. "However, I believe we should still remain sceptical. Just not to the point we start wearing tin-foil hats."

"Yeah, although you wouldn't need that." McCree playfully pointed out with a quick point at Genji's helmet.

"I-" Genji started, likely to retort, when he was also cut off. But this time, it was by Winston over the comms.

"Everyone, please gather. It looks like Ana and her group have found something." The gorilla asked before a swift click signaled that the message was over already.

"Well, sounds like we've gotta be somewhere else now." McCree stated. He stood up and stretched his back.

"Yes." Genji agreed as he grapped his crutch and stood up. Both Lena and McCree noticed that he was still leaning heavily on it as they made their way through the base.

Upon reaching their destination, the door slit open and all three stepped inside. Everyone else were already gathered. Then again, Genji wasn't exactly as swift as he used to be.

"There you are." Winston exclaimed upon seeing the last remaining trio. "Quickly, take your seats."

Everyone obliged with no objections. Once everyone was seated, Winston gestured for Ana. "You told me you had found something."

"Indeed." Ana responded from her seat next to 76. She then looked down onto a holographic screen as she explained.

"We started by trying to analyse what exactly this so-called 'Demon of Kings Row' said to us." The egyptian sniper explained. "But when that didn't yield anything useful, I requested that dr. Zhou ask the british government for a population-record. And after some searching, we came across this:"

As she spoke, Ana brought up an image. More precisely, an ID file.

"The first thing that caught our eye was the picture. Apart from the hair being black and not white, it does look like him, doesn't it?" She asked.

"Indeed it does." 76 agreed. Everyone swiftly began inspecting the file.

"' _Alexander Caeden_ ', ' _Born: 13/1/2062_ '..." 76 mumbled aloud as he read it.

Ana let a few seconds pass, to give everyone a chance to inspect the file. Once they had passed, she added "And when we began to look further into it, we found two things of particular interest. First was this:"

She scrolled through quite a bit of the file until she reached the buttom. "Here." She simply said.

"' _Presumed dead: 7/1/2082'_?" McCree asked.

"Indeed." Ana confirmed. "He was presumed dead after several months of resultless searching. He had gone missing just over a year ago, you see. But now, we know better. He didn't die."

"Talon took him and turned him into that thing." Winston concluded.

Silence began to settle in around the table as no one really knew what to say. Eventually, Ana decided to continue.

"The second thing of interest we found was this:" She said as she brought up a second profile. This one was of a middle-aged blonde man with green eyes. However, this wasn't a file in a population-register, this was an Overwatch file.

"' _Capt. Matthew Caeden_ ', ' _Status: KIA_ '." 76 was once again the one who read it out loud.

"I... take it this was his father?" Winston carefully asked.

"Sadly, yes." Ana responded. "It's also incredibly likely that this is why he harbors such hate for us."

"He would have only been a kid by the time he was informed. And it would be natural he then blamed us for it." Hanzo argued in a stoic voice.

"How-" Genji was about to speak, when a sudden beeping sound interrupted everything. Everyone briefly looked around, confused, when Lena realized what it was.

"Oh sorry." She quickly apologized as she pulled out her ringing phone.

"Emily?" Winston asked.

"It seems so." The brit answered. She then looked at Winston with almost begging eyes.

"Sure, take it." The gorilla said, followed by a sigh.

"Thanks!" Lena said before dashing over in a corner and answering it. Meanwhile, everyone else continued with their discussion.

"As I was saying." Genji continued. "How excatly did he, Capt. Matthew I mean, die?"

"We're still unsure." Ana answered. "Although it did happen during the omnic crisis, so it's safe to assume he was a casualty of the fighting."

"While this is certainly interesting," McCree now spoke with crossed arms and a sceptical voice. "I don't see how this is going to help if we run into him again."

"You're right this doesn't help if we end up fighting him." Winston slowly answered. "However, we might be able to use this to avoid that. Now that we understand why he is doing this, we might be able to reason with him and avoid fighting all-together."

"And even if that doesn't work," Hanzo also chimed in. "understanding an opponent is the first step to beating them."

"I see." McCree responded as he uncrossed his arms.

"And when-" Winston was about to add when he suddenly stopped and looked at something. As everyone also turned towards it, they saw Lena had returned from her phone-call. And she had a very perplexed expression on her face, which was very unlike her.

"Lena?" Angela carefully asked as she placed a hand on the brit's shoulder.

"Sorry, I just... don't really know how to react to this." She explained. She then unexpectedly turned towards Winston as she said "Could we speak? Once this is done?"

"... Sure." Winston agreed, although he admittedly was quite worried over her behavior.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Angela asked with genuine concern. "Nothing has happened?"

"Yeah, yeah." Lena quickly reassured her. "Nothing's happened. I'm just sorta weirded out, I think you could say."

"If you say so." The swiss doctor reluctantly chose to believe her as she retracted her hand.

"Winston." 76 suddenly shook the gorilla out of his thoughts. "Behind you." The soldier bluntly said while pointing behind him.

"Hm?" The gorilla responded as he turned around. There was an incoming call from somewhere unidentified. "Who could this be?" He mumbled to himself before answering the call.

The face of a bitter african man instantly appeared on the wall-mounted screen. Everyone gasped, except for 76. "Akande." The old soldier said.


	8. Risks

A low but pleasant humming was the only sound present in the otherwise silent laboratory. It's silence was due to the fact that only one person was occupying it at the moment.

The humming continued while the person it belonged to was deeply focused on the task at hand.

That's why the sudden sound of a door opening almost caused the humming person to have a heart attack. Upon turning around, he saw who had entered. It was a man with long blonde hair and a similar lab-coat.

"Excuse me? I think you're in the wrong laboratory." The previously humming scientist tried pointing out.

"Are you dr. Neil Caulfield?" The arrival asked, seemingly ignoring the previous statement.

"Indeed I am." Dr. Caulfield responded.

"Then I'm in the right place." The stranger said. As Neil didn't immediately say anything else, the stranger turned around to face him.

"God, it's dark in here. How do you see in this?" He suddenly asked. Without asking for permission, he turned on the light-switch behind him and the lab became illuminated.

"Who are you?" Neil tried asking the approaching stranger.

"Me?" He asked, stopping dead in his tracks. "Oh, I suppose you can't recognize me. How about this?" He then said before running his hand through his hair. And as his hand went through it, some of it shifted from long blonde to short, pure white.

"How about now?" The stranger asked, while looking at the scientist in front of him. His green eyes were full of anticipation.

Dr. Caulfield was silent for a few seconds until it dawned on him. "The Demon of Kings Row?" He asked. Though he remained completely still, his eyes visibly narrowed.

"Correct." Alexander answered with a satisfied smirk. "Although please use my real name: Alexander Caeden." He added before changing his hair back to its long, blonde state.

"Alexander Caeden huh?" The scientist simply responded. He then fell into a thoughtful silence while keeping his eyes fixed on the intruder.

"You aren't wondering how I got in here?" Alexander curiosly asked as he began strolling around the lab, looking at various things.

"You're able to change your appearance. It would be easy for you to sneak in without anyone noticing." Neil responded instantly without looking away.

Alexander just looked up at him as he chuckled.

"Although, I fail to see why you would seek me out." The scientist admitted as he seemed to try and figure out the answer.

Before answering, Alexander sat on one of the tables. "You're one of the world's leading experts in communications-technology, right?" The brit asked.

"That is one of the fields I specialize in, yes." Neil confirmed. "And if you're asking me about that, that must be why you sought me out. You're here for my skills at inventing."

Instead of answering with words, Alexander just made a delighted chuckle again.

"I'm currently working on other projects. You'll have to go elsewhere." Neil rejected the brit with surprisingly bluntness, before turning around and resuming his research.

"They did say your loyalty was something else." Alexander admitted. He then jumped down from the table and walked closer to Neil, until he stood right behind him.

"Even if I could assure you gained the recognition you deserve?" The intruder now asked as enticingly as possible.

"What are you talking about?" Neil coldly asked without turning towards him.

"What else?" Alexander answered with a smirk. "The recognition from the ones who wouldn't see your brilliance."

"Overwatch." Neil concluded. When Alexander didn't say anything, the scientist sighed and turned towards him with his hands on his back. "It seems you know how I was turned away all those years ago. Well, no matter. As I said, I'm working on something else."

"But will that ever amount to anything?" Alexander asked.

As Neil raised an eyebrow, the brit allowed himself to continue. "You know it as well, deep down. Whatever it is you work on here, it will never allow you to be recognized. Especially not by Angela Ziegler, Torbjorn Lindholm, Mei-Ling Zhou... Overwatch."

Neil's eyes narrowed once again, but Alexander went on. "It isn't your loyalty that's keeping you stuck here, it's your stubborness. Your stubborness is what blinds you to the fruitlessness of your work here."

The scientist continued to listen in silence with an unreadable expression on his face. That's when Alexander turned back towards him. "Didn't you find it infuriating when they allowed Moira O'Deorain to join, despite the fact that she suffered from the same ruthlessness they turned you away because of?"

"What does she have to do with this?" Neil asked. His voice was as cold and unreadable as his expression.

"Everything." The intruder answered in a dramatic voice. "You see, she. Created. Me."

When Neil merely looked at him a bit differently, Alexander tried pushing him a bit. "Can you guess what she did?"

"I don't need to guess." The scientist confidently responded.

"Oh?" Alexander asked in an amused tone. "How come?"

"You're able to change the color of your body, which indicates some sort of manipulation of its surface." The scientist explained with surprising speed. "Moreover, the regeneration you displayed at the anniversary seems to indicate that it is not only your outer skin but your entire bodily structure you're able to manipulate. This could be caused by rapid, controlled cell-growth. But that doesn't explain how you can also make material things and seemingly control the conduction of the electricity within your body. Both abilites that would require machinery. In conclusion..."

Neil briefly stopped to catch his breath. "Your body is entirely comprised of self-replicating nanites."

Alexander brought his hands together and clapped at the scientist's conclusion.

"Congratulations." The brit slowly said as the clapping continued. "Congratulations on the correct assesment."

"Where is she now?" Neil asked, ignoring the applause.

Alexander stopped clapping. "In the ground." He slowly said.

The scientist in front of him simply let out a slightly amused "Hm."

"But..." Alexander continued. "By creating me, she also created something else. Something for you: Opportunity. Opportunity to finally be recognized by those who unjustly turned you away years ago."

"But not for long." Neil added. When Alexander turned towards him in silence, he elaborated. "From your talk at the anniversary, your goal is to annihilate Overwatch. What recognition could I gain from something that has been annihilated?"

"You're observant." The intruder admitted. "Yes, my ultimate goal is the downfall of Overwatch. But you could show them the mistake of turning you away. Let their mistake be a catalyst for their final days."

For the first time, Neil looked down on the floor, seemingly contemplating. Once a few seconds had passed, he looked back up at Alexander.

"I derive no pleasure from petty vengeance." He said stoically.

Alexander let out a sigh. "I thought so." He said out loud. "Well, then how about this?" He asked as he slowly raised his right hand. On it, steady streams suddenly began to collect in his palm, conversing in the middle where they slowly formed something.

The brit quickly looked behind him, before he tensed the muscles in his hand. Slowly, feathers, feet, eyes and a beak started forming, until a pigeon sat in his palm.

"Self-replication." He slowly said. He then lowered his hand and the pigeon extended its wings. Sure enough, it didn't move in the air but just hovered in front of its creator.

Then, with a sudden snap of his fingers, the pigeon immediately combusted, disintegrating into smaller grey streams which extended into Alexander's body. After a few seconds, the pigeon was once again a part of its maker.

"Imitating life, something which already exists, is easy enough." Alexander started. "However, new things, new life or new technology, is immediately more difficult. And so far, unsuccesful for me. I don't see myself as a god, I'm not interested in new life. It would just be fake anyway. But technology, on the other hand..."

Alexander briefly paused before extending his hand out towards Neil. "Imagine, what you could accomplish with my unlimited resources. You could finally obtain that recognition you deserve, instead of having it buried beneath all this red tape."

"I find it hard to imagine you'd make such an offer without demanding something yourself." The scientist simply and coldly stated.

"That's because I have such demands." Alexander replied, still maintaining his smirk. "Apart from your own advancements, I would like for you to also construct various devices to help me reach my goal of annihilation. But once that is done, you will have total freedom."

Neil was quiet, thinking. "How can I make sure you won't kill me once I've fulfilled my purpose?" He bluntly asked.

"Because I will never know if I could suddenly need something in the future. Disposing of you would limit my options for future conquests. And once Overwatch is finally gone... so too, will I dissapear, my purpose fulfilled." Alexander answered.

"That makes sense..." Dr. Caulfield reluctantly agreed. When he didn't say anything further, Alexander took the opportunity.

"Come." The brit said with an extended arm. "Let us progress the technology of mankind, with your innovative mind and my unlimited resources, and let's reach the admiration we were born for."

As he continued, Alexander closed his hand tightly. "And let's leave Overwatch behind in the dust, destroyed by their own mistakes and hypocrisy."

Neil continued to be quiet, now visibly contemplating his future. "While I see no appeal in your crusade of vengeance, I would be willing to accept the conditions. The possibilites of what I can accomplish afterwards does seem to be worth it. However..."

The scientist looked up at the intruder. "My sudden leaving here could make undesirable questions arise."

"Don't worry." Alexander reassured, as he calmly stuffed his hands into his pocket. "I've got that covered already. Although... you'll need to trust me."

As Neil was about to ask the obvious question the brit wanted him to ask, the sudden sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway.

Alexander smirked and turned around. As if on a cue, the door once again opened, revealing two figures. One was a well-built man holding a rifle, and the other was a slimmer man, holding a bow.

"Hands up!" 76 shouted as he pointed his pulse rifle inside the laboratory. Alexander and Neil immediately obliged.

As 76 scanned the laboratory, the brit suddenly talked. "Now now, I'm sure there's no need for violence." He said, drawing attention towards himself. Neil noted in his mind that Alexander could also change his vocal-chords.

Both men in the doorway turned towards him. That's when the archer narrowed his eyes. "Where's your ID?" Hanzo asked.

When 76 checked, he confirmed that he was not wearing any sort of ID, unlike dr. Caulfield.

"I don't have mine right now, because I had forgotten it in here." Alexander calmly spouted a pure lie. He then slowly started approaching the duo, still with his hands up.

"I had returned in order to retrieve it. Mr. Caulfield over there can vouch for me, if you need it." He continued with a quick nod in the scientist's direction.

"But for now..." The brit continued, before stopping right in front of the duo. "Why don't we just lower our guns..." He asked as he placed a hand on 76's rifle. "And try talking it through?"

"If what you're saying is the truth," Hanzo started with suspicion in both his eyes and tone. "then go and collect this ID. We won't shoot. If you're speaking the truth."

"But how can I search properly, if I constantly have to worry about two crossheirs on my back?" The disguised Alexander tried asking.

"We won't-" "Besides..." He suddenly cut 76 off. "I don't think I need that now." He said, briefly confusing the duo.

For a split second, Alexander returned his face and hair to their original states and gave both 76 and Hanzo a victorious smirk. Before the surprised duo could manage to respond, Alexander activated the streams of nanobots he had been sneaking down along 76's rifle. The trigger was pulled. A single bullet went through the brit's stomach.

Alexander flew backwards and landed heavily on his back. 76 immediately threw his rifle away from himself.

"This could be pretty traumatizing, don't you think?" Alexander suggested in a whisper only Neil could hear. His face and hair were changed again.

Hanzo was about to take a step forward, when Neil dropped to his knees and let out a quite convincing scream of terror.

"What-" 76 tried, but he was once again cut off. This time by a storm of security personnel approaching quickly from further down the hallway. The one in the front, likely the chief, reached them quickly and upon looking inside, his eyes widened.

"What the hell happened here?!" He furiously asked while directing the rest inside the room.

"That man is-" "I am terribly sorry for the unfortunate accident we've caused here." Hanzo stepped in front of 76 and bowed deeply. Even with the mask between them, the archer could feel the soldier's glare digging into him.

"That doesn't answer my question." The chief pointed out, still furious.

"We were mere checking the room and those inside, when a malfunction occured in my partner's rifle. Luckily, it does seem to be a non-fatal wound." Hanzo explained, still with his head bowed.

The chief simply grunted before turning to the right and looking inside the room. "Take them both to the hospital." He then ordered his subordinates. "Give the blonde one treatment as quickly as possible. I would also like a psychological evaluation of Caulfield."

"Yes sir!" One of the subordinates replied.

"You two, get a stretcher. You two, help Caulfield. He should still be able to walk. You two, try to stop the bleeding for now. The rest of you, secure the area and let no one come here." The chief then ordered.

After merely a few minutes, both Alexander and Neil had been carried out of the room and the chief was about to walk away, when he turned towards Hanzo and 76.

"I will return with some questions." He simply stated.

"We'll wait." 76 responded while meeting the chief's glare with one of his own.

With no further things to say, the chief turned around and walked away with heavy steps. Once he was far enough away, 76 turned towards Hanzo.

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU LIE TO HIM?!" The soldier roared. "You know just as well as me that it was HIM who pulled the trigger!"

"I know." Hanzo sternly answered before pushing 76 a few meters away. "However, look there." He then said as he pointed up towards the door-frame.

Following the direction, 76 saw what he was pointing at. "A security camera." The old soldier noted.

"Exactly." Hanzo replied. "If they review that footage, they wouldn't be able to see that. Just that your gun, in your hands, shot him."

"So if we were to convince them he did it, we would've had to tell them exactly what he is and how he did that." 76 concluded.

"There's no guarantee they'd believe it out of nowhere. And then we would have had to show them the evidence from Talon. Not only could that endanger them by making them targets, but it could also cause panic." The archer added.

"So in other words, we were played." 76 summed it up with a disheartened voice.

Down the hallway, the duo could now see Ana, Zarya and Fareeha approach them.

"We saw a stream of security and a guy on a strecher appear from down here." Zarya exclaimed upon reaching the duo.

"What happened?" Ana asked directly.

After giving the rest of their team an explanation, they all sighed heavily.

"Well, good thinking Hanzo. This may not be desirable, but it's better than the alternative." Ana complimented.

"Thank you. And if I may, there's one thing we should remember to tell the rest once we return." The archer urged.

"What?" Fareeha inquired.

"That whoever this CC is, she appears to know what she's talking about." Hanzo said.

* * *

Bright golden light emanated from seven chandaliers hanging from the high ceiling of the casino. All around the casino, loyal patrons, tourists or just people with time and money to spare were gambling or talking to each other.

Among the busy crowds, a pair was making their way through, arm-in-arm. The man was wearing a white tuxedo with gold-rimmed sunglasses and a rose on his chest, whereas the woman was wearing bright blue, one-shoulder dress. None of them looked particularly pleased.

Suddenly, the woman saw someone among the crowds she recognized. "Angela! McCree!" She called out to get their attention.

The swiss doctor immediately turned towards the source of the voice. "Ah, Lena." She exclaimed.

Angela and McCree quickly started making their way over to her. The doctor was wearing an elegant, white dress and her hair had been styled appropriately. McCree was wearing a black tuxedo with a black cowboy hat and a shoulder cape on his right shoulder, hiding his gun and cybernetic arm.

"He hasn't done anything?" Angela asked once she and McCree had made it over to them.

"I gave you my word." Akande replied sternly.

"Pardon me for sayin', but after all you've done to us, your word doesn't mean a whole lot anymore." McCree casually argued.

Instead of responding, Akande retracted his arm from Lena. "Where are the rest?" He impatiently asked as he crossed his arms.

"They should be here shortly..." Angela responded as she looked out over the crowds. Even though she tried looking, she couldn't immediately find them.

"If they-" "ANGELA!" A booming voice cut Akande off. Upon turning towards it, the four gathered saw Reinhardt and Brigitte approaching them, Reinhardt towering over all the other gamblers around him.

The german knight was wearing a simple tuxedo with a red bowtie. His silver hair had also been trimmed and styled. Brigitte on the other hand, was sporting a dull yellow dress with matching yellow gloves that went up to her elbows.

"AND LENA! AND JESSE!" The german knight kept on exclaiming as they all came into view.

"Please, call me McCree." The cowboy mumbled under his breath before pulling down on his hat, hiding his eyes.

Brigitte let out a low chuckle over McCree's embarrassment. "I take it everything has gone smoothly?" She then asked.

"You bet!" Lena replied with her usual enthusiasm.

"So far." Akande added, his grim tone only matched by his expression.

"So," Angela started. "you said he was here, didn't you?"

"He owns this entire establishment. Not being here right now would risk it, something he would never allow." The african man responded. He then turned around and surveyed the entire area before his eyes locked onto something.

"There. Let's go" He quickly said while extending his arm to Lena.

Once the brit had reluctantly accepted, the three pairs began to make their way through the casino's visitors.

After a few minutes of rather difficult maneuvering, mostly thanks to Reinhardt, the pairs ended up in front of an omnic dealing cards for three gamblers. The omnic was wearing a completely black suit, except for a red tie and a golden pin of the _pi_ symbol.

"Maximillian." Akande exclaimed. All three gamblers turned around while the omnic just raised his head a little.

"Akande." The omnic simply said upon seeing who had called out to him. "And your new friends it seems. Care for a game?"

"What?" One of the gamblers asked in protest. "We're-" "We're done. Leave." Maximillian cut him off. Something in the omnic's gaze also seemed to shift, sending a shiver down Lena's spine.

"Urgh, come on." One of the other gamblers said. With a quick nod, the other two picked up their chips and left the table.

"As I was saying..." Maximillian returned to his other, more inviting self. "Care for a game?"

"I would rather talk." Akande asserted himself. He once again crossed his arms.

"There's nothing that forbids talking while playing." The omnic pointed out as he began to shuffle some cards. "Not here, anyway."

Akande seemed to think about it for a few silent seconds. "Fine." The newest Doomfist finally agreed. "If you insist."

"I do." Maximillian replied, sounding very pleased.

As everyone took a seat, with Lena and Akande in the middle, Maximillian noticed something. "Are you betting something invisible?" The omnic pointed out.

"I came prepared." Akande quickly dismissed him. Reaching into his tuxedo, the african man pulled out around 30 chips.

"So did I." McCree surprisingly agreed, as he also pulled out a bunch of chips from his shoulder-cape. However, he only had 20. "What? It's a casino." The cowboy exclaimed when he noticed the looks he got from the rest of the Overwatch team.

"So the two of you are playing?" Maximillian now asked while still shuffling the cards.

"Any of you care to join?" McCree asked the remaining four members of their party.

"Unfortunately no thanks." Angela quickly rejected the offer. The other three also shook their heads.

"Now then," Maximillian was almost ready to begin. "What do you say to a game of Blackjack? With two sets?" He asked as he held two sets of cards in his hand.

"Sounds good." Akande agreed.

If Maximillian could smile, he would've, as he quickly took the two sets and shuffled them with impressive speed. The omnic shuffled them in complete silence, waiting for his visitors to make the first move. And that they did.

"I assume you already know why we're here." Akande asked while placing his chips on top of one another in front of him.

"Did O'Deorain's ambitions finally blow up in her face?" The omnic coldly asked while continuing to shuffle the cards.

"You could say that." McCree answered. The cowboy was leaned back in his seat, as the only one.

"Suits her." Maximillian noted. "That's what happens when you choose to ignore warnings for too long. It catches up to you."

Something about Maximillian's indifference to Moira's passing unnerved most of the Overwatch crew.

Before they had any chance to ask further questions, the omnic was finished shuffling the cards. As he laid them in a neat stack next to him, he turned towards the two players.

"Ready to bet?" He asked calmly, much unlike his voice when he talked about Moira.

Without saying anything, Akande threw 2 of his chips into the middle of the table. "Starting small I see." Maximillian noted.

Next, McCree placed 5 of his chips onto the table. "More of a risk taker. I like it." The omnic commented on the play.

Following the bets, Maximillian took the stack of cards and dealt two cards to Akande, McCree and himself. As the players looked at their own two cards, the omnic turned one of his cards over. An eight of diamonds.

Everyone sat and considered what to do, when Akande suddenly spoke up. "Alexander Caeden." He said while looking at the omnic. "That's the name of O'Deorain's creation."

"I know." Maximillian simply responded. He was back to his cold voice. "Someone doesn't use 20% of Talon's total resources without me knowing what for."

"Then you should know what he's capable of." The african man argued, while placing his hand on the table, face down.

"I would've gotten that from just watching Overwatch's disaster of an anniversary, thank you." The omnic retorted, earning quite a few glares from the players around the table.

"You know we weren't prepared for anything like him!" Lena argued back as she stood up.

"But isn't it Overwatch's whole thing to be prepared? For disasters, epidemics, emergencies..." Maximillian looked at Lena. Though his gaze was calm, there was something else underneath. "... and attacks?"

"We-" "Sit down." Akande interrupted her, while he himself remained seated.

"But-" "Attacking the owner of this house will not accomplish anything, other than giving them a reason for throwing us out!" Doomfist explained with quite a harsh voice. Lena felt a hand on her shoulder and when she turned around, she saw Brigitte, looking at her with sympathy but shaking her head.

Defeated, the brit sat down.

"If no further distractions will occur..." The omnic noted with his gaze firmly locked onto Lena. "Are you ready to play?"

"Yes." Akande responded quickly. "I stand." He said with a hand over the cards he'd laid on the table.

"I see. And you?" Maximillian now turned towards McCree.

"Hmm..." The cowboy didn't seem to fully know himself what to do. "Screw it. Hit me." He eventually answered. Without a word, the dealer quickly slided a card over to him, face-down.

"Well, dammit." McCree admitted before throwing his hand onto the table. A four and an eight of spades and a jack of clubs.

"A shame." Maximillian let out, even though he clearly didn't mean it. He quickly collected McCree's bet. "It would seem you're on your own now. Let's see how you did." The omnic said before turning his other card over. A ten of hearts.

With a confident smile, Akande revealed his hand. A nine of clubs and a queen of hearts.

"Congratulations." Maximillian exclaimed. And as he slided two chips over to the winner of the round, he collected the used cards and placed them in a seperate stack.

"Care for another round?" The dealer asked as he began to shuffle the remaining cards.

"It seems you've misunderstood something." The newest Doomfist answered as he toyed with his chips between his fingers. "We're not leaving here without what we came for."

"And that thing is a way to kill this 'Alexander' I take it?" The omnic asked.

"Is that something you have?" Brigitte asked back.

"What are you willing to bet on it?" Maximillian retorted. If he could smile, he would have.

Before anyone had any chance of answering, McCree pushed all his remaining 15 chips onto the table. "Will this suffice?" The cowboy nonchalantly asked.

"What are you doing?!" Akande whispered harshly as he leaned closer to McCree.

"What he wants. Besides, I don't think just bickering will progress us fast enough." The cowboy answered.

As the omnic dealer just sat and observed the debate, Akande returned to his seat and thought for a few seconds. He then also placed 15 of his chips onto the table.

"You're betting a lot on something you're not even guaranteed to obtain. You're certain?" The omnic asked.

"Right now, this is our best option." McCree replied.

"If you say so." Maximillian simply responded. He then proceeded to dealing everyone their two cards before flipping over one of his cards. A queen of diamonds.

"Before you decide on your actions, allow me to ask you one question." The omnic started, earning a look from Akande. "Why should I help you?"

"Because then we can stop him faster!" Lena tried arguing.

"So I should jeopardize my entire business and life because... it's the right thing to do? You do know who you're talking with, don't you child?" Maximillian asked, sounding genuinely perplexed.

Lena once again sat down defeated, when Akande spoke. "Because it could save your life."

The omnic looked at him in anticipation, as the african man continued. "You know what happened to O'Deorain and Reyes. Who can say he won't come after us once he's done with Overwatch?"

"He knows neither my face nor my name. Because unlike our former colleagues, I was smart enough to not show my face around someone who could kill me in the blink of an eye." Maximillian replied, with his cold and uncaring voice.

"He's a creation made entirely of machines." Akande argued back. "He wouldn't need much practice or guidance to hack into our databases. Or alternatively, he could just slaughter his way into one of our bases and access it from there. And there, everything can be read."

"And you can take down someone like that?" Maximillian asked with slight mockery.

"If you agree to help us, then it would be your best bet." Akande answered sternly.

The omnic just looked at his colleague for a few seconds. He then began to chuckle as he leaned back in his seat. The chuckle slowly rose in volume, eventually becoming a maniacal laughter, as he looked up at the ceiling.

The laughter continued for some time. Once the omnic had finally calmed back down again, he turned towards Akande. "Let's see if I can even help first." He said in a low but delighted voice. "Your move."

The newest Doomfist looked down on his hand but his expression remained unreadable. "Hit." He eventually said and Maximillian swiftly dealt him another card.

"Stand." He then said as he looked up at the omnic.

"And you?" The dealer inquired, looking over at McCree.

"Stand as well." The cowboy answered confidently.

"Then let's see." Maximillian said and he turned over his other card. A ten of spades. Akande then threw his cards onto the table. A five of clubs, a six of spades and the other eight of spades.

"I'll take all you've offered then." The omnic exclaimed as he reached out for Akande's bet.

"One second." McCree interrupted him.

When the omnic turned towards him, he saw McCree showing his two cards: A king of spades and an ace of hearts. "Blackjack." The cowboy said with a satisfied smirk.

The omnic slowly leaned back in his seat. "I see. Well played." He eventually congratulated before pushing Akande's bet plus some extra chips over to McCree.

"Hold on. There's a chip missing." The cowboy pointed out after quickly counting his earnings. With a calm motion, Maximillian reached under the table and pulled forth the final chip. But unlike the others, which were red and white, this one was red and gold.

"Keep a good eye on it." The omnic dealer ordered as he flipped the chip over to McCree. "And I believe that is all I have time for tonight. Thank you for playing." He then quickly said to everyone else before standing up and walking away.

Satisfied with his earnings, the cowboy began to put his chips into a holder, when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind.

"You rock! That was so cool!" Lena complimented him from behind as she hugged him.

With just a smirk, the cowboy looked up to see the rest of his colleagues in Overwatch looking at him.

"I have to admit, that was quite a good play." Angela also joined in complimenting, although she knew to keep her voice down.

"I expected nothing less from you, Jesse!" Reinhardt roared as he placed one of his giant hands on the cowboy's shoulder. Brigitte simply sent him an approving nod and smile.

"Hey, it was all just pure luck." McCree responded even though he seemed to enjoy the praise.

Upon standing up, the cowboy saw Akande was now also watching him. "Even if you say that, it was still well played." Doomfist complimented.

"Well, thank you." McCree accepted the compliment before removing his hat, placing it over his chest and bowing in an exaggerated manner.

After placing the hat on his head again, the cowboy turned to the group. "Shall we go cash these in?" He then asked while grapping the holder with all his chips.

"Best not to waste any time." Akande agreed. McCree extended an arm out towards Angela, who accepted it. Then, each of them arm-in-arm, the three pairs made their way through the casino until they reached their destination.

"I'd like to cash these in." McCree promptly explained as he placed the chips on the counter. The woman behind the counter took the chips and began to count them, when she noticed the golden one.

After placing it on the side, she wrote a check and gave it to McCree. "Follow me." She then ordered before stepping out from her station.

Following the woman, the team made their way through the casino, towards a pair of stairs along the back wall.

* * *

"Thank you." The nurse quickly said. "I will come back once we have something conclusive. You can just sit here and wait." She then said as she looked down at the slightly distressed man in the seat.

"Thank you." Neil Caulfield simply said.

With a quick nod and smile, the nurse stood up and walked down through the hallway.

Once she was gone, Neil looked around. He was sitting in a chair in the hospital's hallway. Of course they didn't give a room to someone who was just a bit shaken. There were no one else around, just him and his thoughts.

Suddenly, a slow clap pierced the silence. When the scientist turned to see who it was, he saw a short, male doctor with long, sand-coloured hair leaned up against the wall, clapping while looking at him.

"I must say..." The doctor said as he started approaching him. As he walked, his body became taller and his hair retracted and bleached itself.

"I never expected you to be such a good actor." Alexander exclaimed. He then stopped clapping.

Neil didn't say anything but simply stood up and looked at Alexander with his unreadable expression.

"Of course, you can't just leave now, like I can." The brit started. "But I'll tell you the conclusion they'll come to with you: You'll need some rest. And if you say yes, I can... recommend, a great place in Britain."

The scientist didn't say anything but simply stood and listened.

"Of course, agreeing to this, there is no going back." Alexander noted, although he seemed to not really care about it. "What do you say?" He then asked as he looked at Neil with a devilish grin.

"I believe you already know." Dr. Caulfield stated with his unreadable expression and tone.

"If you say so." Alexander simply replied. He then extended a hand towards the scientist, who promptly shook it. "Glad to have you on board." He said, his devilish grin growing even wider.

Neil didn't reply with anything but simply placed his hands behind his back while looking at Alexander.

"You won't hear from me for a few days." Alexander started explaining while his body slowly became short and his hair longer again. "But just go with it, and then I'll pick you up." He finished before turning around and walking away.

"I'll count on it." Neil responded before sitting back down.

As Alexander made his way through the hallways in his disguise, he couldn't wipe the grin off his face, even if he wanted to.

* * *

 **A/N: And now, Alexander has acquired all the allies he needs to. The plan for finally taking down Overwatch will be set in motion in the next chapter, so you can look forward to that. Until then, just remember that I appreciate any sort of** **constructive criticism so don't hesitate to leave some. And I'll see you next time.**


	9. Allies

**A/N: Before the chapter starts, I just need to inform you that there has been a _major_ change in my life recently. And while that change is good in many ways, it has unfortunately also drastically reduced the amount of time I can spend writing every day. So I apologize, but you should expect these chapters to come out at a slower pace from now on. Now that that's out of the way, let's continue.**

* * *

"Al? Is everything alright?" Natalia asked her brother with clear concern.

The pair was sitting on the back seat of a taxi, on its way through the streets of London. While Nat could just use it as she was, her brother had to disguise himself with black hair, brown eyes and some casual clothing. During the entire way, Nat had also noticed that he had just been sitting and looking out the window.

"Hm?" Alexander blurted out before turning to face his sister.

"Are you okay? You seem... distant." She explained while looking at him.

"I was just thinking." Alexander quickly dismissed her concern. "About the future."

"If you say so." Nat just replied, obviously not fully convinced. She then turned her gaze towards her feet and looked down with a sort of melancholic look.

"What about you?" Her older brother asked. "I feel like there's something nagging you as well."

Nat slowly raised her head to look her brother in his eyes. "Well, I just... don't know what to expect of this. Of these... allies, you've chosen." She eventually let out.

"I see." Alexander simply replied. "You're nervous, you don't know what is going to happen."

Nat just sat and looked down again, when she suddenly felt an arm around her shoulders. Raising her eyes, she saw her brother, looking at her with both comfort but also concern. "There's nothing to be concerned about." He softly said as he pulled her closer. "I'll keep you safe."

While Nat leaned her head against his shoulder, Alexander continued. "And if they do even the smallest thing to you, I will personally see that they never forget that mistake. Because now..."

Alexander placed a hand on her cheek as he smiled. "Now, I finally have the power to protect you."

"Okay..." Nat responded with a light voice, almost a silent whisper.

Still with his smile, Alexander turned towards the window. Outside, no stars could be seen on the night sky, it was simply a void covering the entire planet. Only a few windows had lights in them.

The rest of the trip in the taxi was silent. Eventually, it stopped and Alexander and Nat stepped out, only to be immediately greeted by the brisk, salty winds from the ocean. "Thank you." Nat swiftly concluded her business with the taxi driver.

Once the driver had left, the siblings were all alone. Alexander took this opportunity and turned his hair short and white again. And after a few more seconds, his crimson cape fell down behind him.

The older brother swiftly turned towards Nat. His body was now covered in the metallic armor. "Let's go." He simply said. And with a determined nod from his sister, they began to walk down the harbor.

Upon reaching the edge, where the concrete ended and the black ocean began, the pair turned right and walked past some warehouses. Eventually, they reached their desitnation: Warehouse 07.

As they approached the giant, metal building, Alexander spotted two guards in front of it. From a distance, they looked like normal security guards. But once Alexander was up close, he could see the dark red emblem on their shoulders: That of a snake wrapped around an olive branch.

Now in front of the guard, he closely examined the new arrivals. Nat carefully took her brother's left arm and hid behind it while her brother just met the guard's gaze head-on.

After a few seconds, the guard let go of his rifle and knocked three times on the metal door. With a few screeching sounds, the door opened.

Upon stepping inside, the pair was greeted by a mostly empty warehouse. Just a few boxes scattered here and there, with some stairs along the back wall leading up to a suspended room about 20 meters above the floor.

As Nat let go of her brother's arm, the pair moved towards the stairs, ignoring the few curios looks they got from the guards.

After finally reaching the stairs and walking up to the room, they stopped in front of a metal door. From inside, a faint male voice could be heard. "Yes, I understand what we've done. And we are moving everything. But we told you from the start that everything outside of here would be your problem."

Not waiting for him to finish, Alexander opened the door and stepped inside.

Inside, Caesar was talking on the phone. The syndicate-boss was wearing a simple purple shirt with a pair of gold-rimmed sunglasses. After seeing who had entered, he quickly put up a finger, signaling he'd be ready in a moment.

While he finished the call, Nat looked around the room. In the center was a large table with six chairs around it and several weapons were hanging along the walls. Additionally, there were two doors on the opposite side of the room, but both were locked.

"Sorry." Caesar apologized as he closed his phone and turned towards the pair. "The guy we got this place from is still be bit unhappy."

"I trust you can handle him." Alexander replied quite sternly.

"Of course." The syndicate-boss reassured. "He doesn't have much room to negotiate anyway, when we hold all the dirty little secrets."

In response, the older brother just briefly smirked.

"Well, regardless, welcome to our new hideout, boss." Caesar exclaimed. "We haven't done much so far, but we have plans. And if I may, who might that beauty there be?" He then asked as his eyes landed on Nat.

"This is my sister, Natalia." Alexander introduced as she moved behind his back, nervous.

As she looked at him, Caesar took off his sunglasses and moved closer to her. "Natalia, this is-" "Caesar Giordani, at your service." Caesar cut the introductions off as he took her hand and kissed it.

"Yes." Alexander nearly hissed as he glared at Caesar with an almost venomous stare.

"Say, haven't I seen you before?" The syndicate-boss unexpectedly asked. He started looking more closely at Nat, who tried backing away but didn't really succeed. "I think... yes! I've seen you in some plays." He eventually concluded.

"I've tried to get into theater acting, but... I haven't really been too successful yet." Nat explained, her voice as nervous as her demeanor.

"Well, why didn't you say so?" Caesar enthusiastically asked before grapping her hand. "I know someone back home in Italy who would be willing to-" "I think that's enough." Alexander cut him off as he grapped Caesar's wrist.

Caesar could feel that if Alexander had just applied a bit more pressure, his wrist would have shattered like glass. And upon looking up at him, the syndicate-boss was met by a pair of blood-red, glaring eyes.

"Okay okay okay okay." Caesar let out as his expression briefly contorted to that of pain.

As Nat moved behind him again, Alexander let go of the italian's wrist.

After quickly rubbing his wrist, Caesar looked back up at Alexander as he rubbed the back of his head. "Got a real tight relationship there." He commented, before straightening his back. "Well, looks like at least you know how to show up."

"The others will come." Alexander replied. His eyes slowly turned back to their green states.

With just a shrug, Caesar moved over to the windows overlooking the warehouse. After standing there for a few seconds, he smiled. "Seems you're correct." He noted.

Alexander also moved over to the window, leaving Nat in the middle of the room. Once he was there, he saw a figure crossing the warehouse towards the stairs.

"As punctual as his reputation lets on." The white-haired leader noted to himself.

After some time, the metal door opened and Neil stepped inside. The scientist was wearing his usual lab-coat and glasses and his brown hair was as messy as before.

"It seems everything worked out just like I said it would." Alexander said as he greeted Neil with a firm handshake.

"It did. And I applaud you on that." The scientist replied, though his voice didn't reveal much.

After the handshake, Alexander moved him over towards the syndicate-boss. "Doctor Neil Caulfield, this is Caesar Giordani, head of the Crimson Legion, as I assume you know." He introduced as they shook hands.

"I do. Word of your exploits reach far. Unlike word of your heritage." Neil said.

"It's something I like to keep hidden. It's more of a hinderance than anything else. Much like your experience with Overwatch, now that I think about it." Caesar replied with a casual tone.

"And this is my younger sister, Natalia." Alexander now directed him towards Nat with a gesture.

"I hope you'll help Al as much as you can. He's trying as hard he can." Nat greeted.

"A pleasure. And of course." Neil responded, with just a quick bow of his head.

With the introductions over, the scientist placed his hands behind his back and turned towards his new, white-haired superior. "Besides..." He added. "It's in my best interest to see him succeed. After all, as he said to me, there's no going back now."

"Ha!" Caesar let out a delighted cheer. "That sounds about right for everyone here. Apart from me of course." He said. "Not that I'm going to do anything though." He then quickly reassured as he placed his hands in front of his chest.

"Regardless..." Alexander continued while his eyes turned back to green from red. "Do you know when the remaining are coming?"

"No." Neil bluntly answered. "Although I hope, for their sake, soon."

"That sounds about right." Alexander agreed with a smirk. And as if on a cue, a knock sounded from the door.

"Come in." Alexander shouted. The door opened and Scarlett strolled inside. The chief of 6-News was wearing an unusually inconspicuous black jacket and skirt with her blonde hair tied up in a ponytail.

"Had to take precautions so you wouldn't be recognized?" Her boss asked as he approached her.

"Of course." Scarlett answered. "Could you imagine what would be written if our... relationship was made public?" She playfully asked.

"I take it you're Scarlett?" Nat jumped in. When her older brother turned towards her, he saw her almost glaring at the new arrival.

Scarlett quickly let out a small grunt of annoyance, before she turned towards her. "And who might you be?" She asked coyly.

"This is my younger sister Natalia. And yes, this is Scarlett." Alexander swiftly introduced them to each other.

"His younger sister, huh?" Scarlett let out while shaking her hand. "What is it like to have him as an older sibling?" She then asked, still with her smile.

"Awe-inspiring." Nat responded with confidence.

"Oh?" Scarlett simply replied. Though she kept smiling, something under it seemed to change. But before she could do anything further, her wrist was grapped and Alexander lead her towards the others.

"This is doctor Neil Caulfield, an american researcher and inventor." He quickly introduced them.

"I'll be honest. I'm not a fan of the tabloid-style of news-coverage you do. However, if it can benefit us, then there should be no problem." Neil bluntly stated before bowing his head again.

"You don't hold back." Scarlett noted to herself as she crossed her arms. "But you underestimate the influence that kind of coverage can have." She then confidently exclaimed.

"I don't think so." Neil disagreed. "If you didn't hold a comparatively large amount of influence, then you wouldn't have been chosen as a part of this rather dangerous endeavor." He explained.

"Ah, you're not as blindly judgmental as I thought. My apologies." Scarlett replied. "And I suppose the same can be said about you and your skills. Better not dissapoint."

"I have never dissapointed when it comes to my work." Neil confidently responded, though without any confidence or smile.

As Scarlett just quietly smiled, Alexander lead her towards the leader of the Crimson Legion. "And this is Caesar Giordani." He said.

"A pleasure to make your aquintance, madam Moineau." Caesar greeted before kissing her hand. "You're my favorite source of news from Britain."

"You're good at flattery." Scarlett simply commentated in a bored voice. "The future will reveal if you're good for anything else, or if it was just handed to you."

"Please..." Caesar replied, not giving up. "If I didn't know what I was doing, I wouldn't be the most wanted man in Italy."

"True." The british woman admitted. "Though it seems you've got some competition." She added as she looked over at Alexander, who just looked on with a neutral expression. Behind him stood Nat who also seemed to keep a close eye on them.

"If I may echo your words..." Caesar said. "Then the future may reveal it."

Scarlett just let out a delighted chuckle. She then turned around to face her new boss. "It seems we're only missing o-" She started but she was silenced by the door opening.

"I apologize for my late arrival." Alfred apologized as he entered. "I had a meeting that just dragged on." He then explained before adjusting his tie. The omnic was wearing a black suit with a matching black tie and some sort of metal pin Alexander couldn't make out.

Once he was done adjusting his tie, the omnic politician looked out over everyone else in the room. While Alexander and Neil were looking at him normally and Nat just seemed a bit nervous, both Caesar and Scarlett looked at him in shock. "Is something the matter?" He asked.

"You're..." Scarlett started while looking at the omnic.

"You got a UN politician on your side?!" Caesar asked Alexander.

"Yes." Alexander just answered.

"Could I ask why this is such a shock to you?" Alfred calmly inquired as he placed his hands behind his back.

"Well, when you said you had an ally in the political world..." Caesar started explaining. "I thought you meant some of those crooked lawyers I use myself. Or perhaps some corrupt diplomat. But someone from the UN?! How exactly did you convince him?"

"Let's just say mr. Caeden's goals allign with a wish of my own." Alfred answered the question directed at Alexander.

"Overwatch's destruction?" Scarlett asked, now no longer so shocked.

"More accurately, something within that." The omnic answered, earning a raised eyebrow.

"That kind of discussion can wait for later." Alexander quickly silenced everyone. He then moved over to Alfred and gestured towards the leaders of 6-News and the Crimson Legion respectively.

"Since you apparently already know him, I won't bore you with that." Alexander explained. "But Alfred, this is Scarlett Moineau and Caesar Giordani."

"I have heard much about you. You're quite infamous." The omnic noted as he shook Caesar's hand.

"I bet." The italian simply replied.

"And as for you," Alfred continued as he moved on to Scarlett. "while I don't personally get my information from you, I understand why he chose you."

"My, thank you." Scarlett responded.

"But it would seem one shouldn't go to you for unbiased news in the near future." The omnic politician noted as calmly ask before. Before she had any chance to respond, he had moved on to the next colleague.

"Doctor Neil Caulfield." The scientist introduced himself very simply and directly. In the back, Alexander crossed his arms and smiled.

"Afraid I haven't heard of you before. But if you were picked for this, then I take it you're good at what you do." Alfred told him honestly as he also shook his hand.

"Inventing and researching, yes, I am." Neil replied. His voice very neutral and didn't reveal any immediate emotion.

Done with seemingly every introduction, Alfred turned and looked around the room, when his eyes landed on Nat.

"Ms. Natalia Lockwood?" He asked as he slowly approached her. Nat was visibly surprised by him calling her by that name. It also earned a few interested looks from the others in the room.

"Yes, it is you." The omnic concluded as he grapped Nat's hand in his. "You might not remember me, but I definitely remember you. I believe it was ' _The Ghosts of Wales_ ' about... two weeks ago. Am I correct?"

"Er... yes. I-I was a small part of that." Nat nervously asked, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"Ah, I knew it." Alfred exclaimed. "You absolutely mesmerized me. You deserve so much more than just a small part in that."

"I... thanks." Nat just replied, visibly blushing quite intensily.

"Ahem." Alexander interrupted them. "This is my younger sister, Natalia Caeden." He then introduced, though his voice was more tense than before.

"Ah." Alfred exclaimed as if he'd regained his senses. "I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behavior. I briefly lost control of myself." He then turned towards Nat again. "Please accept my heartfelt apology." He then urged.

"It's... it's fine." Nat eventually accepted the apology.

"Thank you." The omnic said before turning towards Alexander. "I'm an avid follower of theater, you see. Truly an overlooked and dying form of art, if you ask me. And Ms. Caeden's performance from a few days ago simply impressed me so much, that I felt I had to make that clear to her."

"I see." Alexander simply said. He then looked at Nat, who looked back in return. "It seems you've got a fan." He then commented.

"Oh. T-thanks." Nat just said. Even though her voice was more calm now, she was still visibly blushing.

"Absolutely." Alfred agreed. "But your sister, Caeden, huh? Using a fake surname to hide your connection and protect her?" He then asked.

"Indeed." Alexander confirmed.

"So that's why Overwatch hasn't busted her door down yet!" Caesar exclaimed as if he'd solved a difficult riddle.

"Believe me..." Alexander said as he turned towards him. A shiver went down the italian's spine upon seeing his expression. Apart from the red irises, something in his wide eyes, gritted teeth and tensed muscles made it seem every last bit of sanity had long since abandoned him.

"If they did that, I would personally lock them up, slaughter their loved ones in front of them, torture them until their very mind shattered, and then, and only then, would I rip them apart until they were nothing more than an unrecognizable pile of mauled flesh!" He said in a voice that seemed just as insane as his expression.

An eerie silence settled in, as no one knew what to say to that. Only a few glances were exchanged.

"Anyway." Alexander swiftly changed the subject, as his eyes and face returned to normal. "Everyone, take a seat." He then ordered.

As everyone began to move over to the table in the middle of the room, Alfred quickly made his way next to Nat. "Again, I apologize for my behavior earlier." He whispered to her.

"It's fine, really." Nat replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Without further comments, Alfred took a seat next to Neil. While the omnic sat with a straight back, the scientist next to him leaned forward and looked rather intensily around. In front of them, both Scarlett and Caesar sat leaned back.

"Before anything else," Alexander started from his position at the end of the table. "Dr. Caulfield and I have been experimenting with various things and we've managed to create this:" He explained before throwing three objects onto the table. Two balls and a ring, all of metal.

"What're these?" Caesar asked as he picked up one of the balls and looked at it in his hand. But before Alexander had a chance to answer, the ball suddenly opened and several wires extended from it, collecting to form an earpiece.

"Ahh, nice." The italian complimented before placing it in his ear. Scarlett swiftly followed suit and placed the other in her ear, while Alfred placed the ring around one of the sound-recievers on the sides of his head.

"Now we can keep contact with each other without needing messengers or mysterious packages." Alexander explained. "Now... onto the plan itself."

"And with that, we're ready to head out." Ana reported.

"Good." Winston simply reponded. He then looked at the team gathered in front of him: Ana, Jack, Hana, Reinhardt, Brigitte and Lena.

"While this might be our best shot to take him down, that doesn't mean we have to trust them. And vice versa." The gorilla warned. "So trust them, but only as far as it doesn't danger anyone. Remember, this alliance is only temporary. And they know that."

"Of course." Brigitte replied.

"You got it!" Hana enthusistically agreed with a thumbs-up.

"Then don't let me down." Winston just said as farewell. The team then began to leave his lab while waving.

"See ya later big guy!" Lena quickly shouted from the door-frame, before she blinked to the rest of the team. Winston just let out an exhausted sigh before he turned around and walked further into his lab.

"Are you feeling alright Winston?" Athena asked as her icon flared to life on a nearby screen.

"Yeah, I'm... I'm fine." The gorilla dismissed the AI's concern with a pretty hard-to-believe response.

"If you say so." The AI replied with a voice of slight disbelief. "What do you want to do now? I recommend perhaps taking some time off to relax." She then suggested.

"No... no, I can't afford to just laze around. Not right now." Winston once again dismissed his companion. "Bring up the findings we got from the Talon lab again." He then ordered as he walked over to the screen with Athena's icon.

"If you're sure." The AI just said before sliding off screen to allow room for the files.

As Winston grapped a jar of peanut-butter and sat down in front of the screen, he thought about where to look. He'd mostly been looking through the last recorded stuff, to see if there was anything there. But perhaps that was wrong. Perhaps he should look where it all started: The beginning.

"Athena, bring up some of the oldest files." The gorilla ordered before opening the jar.

"Here." The AI just said as a series of files were highlighted and enlarged.

As Winston scrolled through them, he let out a sigh. Early blueprints, funding, materials, it was all just conceptual stuff. The gorilla was about to close it down, when a series of files caught his eye.

' _Nurse Documentation_ ' they were labeled. Curious, Winston opened the folder and was greeted by a long list of audio files.

"Athena, play the first." He asked before eating some of the peanut-butter.

At first, it was just some mechanical noise. Then a voice appeared. " _My name is Catherine Crawford._ " It said. The voice was quite mature. " _I mostly work as a biologist and chemist. However, this new project,_ ' _The Demigod Initiative_ ' _, has posed some unexpected difficulties for the team. You see, whenever we perform experiments on subjects, Talon assigns a personal nurse who looks over the subject and makes sure they are in proper shape for the experiments._ "

There was a brief pause, wherein Winston put the peanut-butter away. " _This subject, Alexander, simply wouldn't speak to any of the usual nurses we tried. They tried everything from appeasement to threats to get him to speak, but he wouldn't. And since we want him to survive and work for us, we can't afford to force anything he doesn't want onto him. I was also in line, but more as a last resort, since I primarily perform chemistry. And at the start, it seemed like that was going to continue_."

This Catherine seemed to now know how exactly to continue. Eventually, she just explained what had happened. " _When I entered, he was on the other side of the glass, lying in his bed. I sat down at my table and prepared to take notes, as instructed, before I turned towards him. I introduced myself and asked how he was feeling. Silence. He was just looking at the ceiling. I didn't really know where to go from there, so I just asked if he at the least could look at me. Surprisingly, he obliged and turned towards me. The tips of his hair had already become white._ "

There was another pause, but just so she could catch her breath. " _I didn't comment on it and simply thanked him. But I think he saw me looking at it. But anyway, after I had thanked him, I tried to ask him how he was feeling again. But again, no response. After thinking for a little bit, I tried asking why he was quiet. No response. So, I tried rephrasing it and asked if I could do something that could make him open up to me. He just looked at me in silence with his emerald eyes._ "

"Athena, you're remembering this, right?" Winston needed to make sure.

"Of course Winston." The AI replied instantly.

" _That's when ms. O'Deorain told me to return, since it seemed he wasn't going to speak to me either. I was prepared for that, so I just started packing my things. And just as I was about to leave, he spoke to me. It was only two words, but that was two words more than anyone else had managed to get out of him. And the words themselves, well, they were... 'It hurts'. I immediately turned back to him, but he had closed his eyes. It was obvious that he wasn't going to say anything else. So I left. And because of those two words, I was appointed as his nurse. And now I have to make these documentations. That's about it, I think._ " The voice finished.

The recording was over and Winston just sat in his seat. Until Athena shook him out of his thoughts.

"This might be what we were looking for." The AI pointed out.

"Huh? Oh, right. Yes, they might be." Winston agreed before leaning in closer and inspecting some more of the logs. "They might not all be equally useful, but there might be something of use, somewhere. We just-"

"Winston." A voice from the door to the lab interrupted him. When the gorilla turned towards it, he saw Genji standing up-right in the doorway.

"Ah Genji. How are you feeling?" Winston exclaimed before getting up from and walking towards him.

"I'm fine, thank you." The cyborg ninja swiftl answered. "However, I'm not here because of that."

"Is that so? Then what can I do for you, my friend?" Winston offered generously.

"Before that, can I come in?" Genji asked.

"Oh, yeah. Come on in." The gorilla answered before stepping aside, letting Genji inside.

"Thank you." He simply said as he stepped inside. He didn't go very far in, before turning around and facing Winston. "It's about this 'Alexander'." He said.

Upon hearing that, Winston turned towards him with a much more serious expression. But he didn't say anything and simply let the ninja continue on his own.

"I've been thinking..." He started as he crossed his metal arms. His voice was now a bit lower. "He is doing all this because his father was casualty in the Omnic Crisis. Under our command. So, I was thinking, how about we apologize for it?"

"What?" Winston blurted out without thinking, taken aback by the suggestion.

"Well, not to him specifically." Genji admitted. "But, I think he feels this resentment partly because we failed to protect him, yes, but also partly because we didn't say or do anything afterwards. If I am to be completely honest, most of the casualties became nothing more than a name on a list."

"Yeah, I hate to admit it, but you're right." Winston asid with a heavy and guilt-ridden voice. "What are you suggesting then?" He asked.

"I suggest we hold some sort of memorial for all the fallen of Overwatch. Not just the Omnic Crisis, but also the conflicts and... accidents, afterwards. Everyone who unfortunately died while serving us. And not only could this satisfy him, but it could also give some of the other families peace." Genji explained.

Winston let out a sigh. "While I like the idea-" The gorilla said. "I'm afraid not a lot of us would know how to do such a thing properly."

"That's no problem." The ninja replied. "I know someone who knows a lot about things like finding peace and making up with one's past. And I believe he would be willing to help."

"Are you certain?" The gorilla asked. "I don't mean to be distrustful, but we need to be extremely careful about every descision we make right now."

"When I was in a very dark place, he was willing to help me, despite me not being the most... receptive student, at the time." Genji told with a voice that had a hint of nostalgia. "If he would help someone like that, I don't see why he wouldn't help us now."

Winston closed his eyes and thought hard for a few seconds. There were risks, certainly, but perhaps doing something like this could work. And it would not only help them, but also a lot of other people.

The gorilla let out a sigh. "Okay." He slowly said. "Conctact this person and ask if they'll help. If they agree, then we can take it from there with everyone."

"Yes." genji simply said. He then swiftly walked over to the doorway, but just before he exited, he turned back to the gorilla. "And... thanks." He said with clear sincerety.

Winston just smiled at him and Genji walked out feeling quite confident about this new plan.

Alfred and Scarlett had already left quite while ago. Only Neil, Caesar and Alexander sat around the table. Her older brother had asked Nat to wait outside, with the promise from both him and Caesar that none of the Crimson Legion members would harm her.

"And I guess that's it." Alexander said while letting out a sigh. This had been a bit more exhausting than he had anticipated.

Once he was done, Alexander turned back towards Neil. "I hope the laboratory is to your liking. If you need anything, just say so and I'll see what can be done." He said in a welcoming voice. "Other than that, you know what you need to start work on."

"Indeed." Neil responded shortly. He then stood up and calmly made his way towards the left of the two doors in the room: His new laboratory.

"And as for you and your merry band of criminals-" Alexander followed as his gaze shifted over to Caesar. "You'll start work on both the A and B plans. And remember, while A is ultimately more important, B could also give us a major , and worthwhile, edge. So direct the Crimson Legion's activities with that in mind."

"Of course, of course." The italian simply agreed with a wave of his hand. "We'll find everything. We always do."

"That's why I'm trusting this to you." The brit replied sternly. And as he stood up, he added "And while I don't doubt your combat abilities, it might be in your best interest to start training."

"Believe me, I know what I'm capable of." Caesar said confidently as he leaned forward with an equally confident grin.

With no further words, Alexander stood up and walked over to the exit, when he stopped. "Remember: Update me. On. Everything." He said without turning around.

"Yeah, yeah, boss." Caesar just answered uninterested. In response, Alexander just turned his head and looked at him over his shoulder.

"Erm, understood." The italian corrected himself.

"Later then." Alexander bid farewell as he turned his red eyes towards the door in front of him. Without waiting for a response, he opened it and stepped outside to a waiting Nat.

"Are you done?" She anxiously asked.

"Yes." Her older brother asked in a calm and comforting tone. "Let's go home." He then added.

As Nat's expression became one of relief, the pair made their way down the stairs. They then continued on through the warehouse in silence. Nat was still a bit nervous about the looks they got from the sides, but not as much as before.

Once they reached the exit, it opened with the same screetch. Stepping out into the night, they quickly walked past the guards posted outside.

"So?" Alexander asked as they walked across the harbor. When Nat turned towards him, she saw his hair was slowly becoming darker and shorter. "What do you think of them?" He clarified, shaking Nat out of her trance.

"Oh." She exclaimed. "Well, I quite like Neil and Alfred. They seem honest to both themselves and those around them. They're also polite and respectful. As for Caesar, I think he means well, but he's just very intrusive and unrestrained. He doesn't really seem to care about others too much."

"I see." Her older brother just replied as he looked out over the ocean. "What about Scarlett then?" He casually asked.

After walking a few steps, Alexander noticed Nat had stopped. He did so as well and turned back towards her. Her face seemed a bit darker than before.

"I don't like her." Nat answered honestly and with a surprising amount of spite. "I'm not sure why, but I really, really don't like her."

Instead of answering with words, Alexander went over and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up. Even though his hair was black with a single strand of neon green, his eyes were still their usual, comforting selves.

"I won't force you to be around her, if that's how you feel. But it was still important that you met her, at least once." Her older borther stated.

"No." She quickly dismissed. "I want to meet her again. At these meetings and other places." She replied with great determination.

"If you say so. It's your choice." Her older brother just said.

Once he turned around, Nat wrapped one of her arms tightly around his. And like that, they walked the rest of the way down the harbor in complete silence.


	10. (Extra) Guide Me

**A/N: I apologize, but there isn't a new chapter. I just haven't had enough time and creative drive to complete it, with all that's been going on in my life. And I'll also be taking a mandatory break next week. That said, I didn't want to leave you with nothing during all this wait. So I've written the full song Alexander and Nat have been reciting to each other. It is my own creation, and I hope you like it. That said, I'll try to complete the next chapter as quickly as possible. But I can't make any promises. So I politely ask you to wait a bit more. Thank you, and please enjoy this in the meantime.**

* * *

 **Guide Me**

* * *

Dawnbreak comes, forget the fear  
Stop the run, come turn to here  
Feel the warmth, the light ablaze  
Painful past, now just a haze

 _Guide me through the endless night  
_ _And save me from my endless fright  
_ _Guide me to the saving light  
_ _And show me what is truly right_

Journey through, what ceased to shine  
Lost in dark, now you can find  
The golden path, ending journey  
Follow it, and come find me

 _Guide me through the endless night  
_ _And save me from my endless fright  
_ _Guide me to the saving light  
_ _And show me what is truly right_

Now you see  
What you've belived  
What I'm not  
Covered by dream

 _Guide me through the endless night  
_ _And save me from my endless fright  
_ _Guide me to the saving light  
_ _And show me what is truly right_

 _Guide me through the endless fire  
_ _And save me from my heart so dire  
_ _Guide me to the scorching fire  
_ _And show me my true desire_


	11. Message

**A/N: And now it's _finally_ done. I'm going to be completely honest with you, I don't know if the time will improve in the future. It might, and I certainly hope it does, but there are unforunately zero guarantees. That said, I hope you enjoy this and until next time.**

* * *

"THEY'VE DONE WHAT?!" Alexander roared across the room in a sudden fury.

"What I just said." Caesar replied rather calmly, all things considered. "I even checked it with some of my other contacts, and it all lines up. Overwatch has allied with Talon against us."

With nothing but a howl of frustration, Alexander's arm twisted into an amalgamation of flesh and metal with a blade at the end. It was slammed with overwhelming might against the wall of the room, cutting it like it was air.

Neil, who was observing the commotion from a safe distance, noticed that something akin to smoke was rising from the brit's shoulders.

As his breath came back under his control, Alexander relaxed and his arm began to retract. The smoke also stopped.

"This..." He said, his eyes completely covered by his white hair. "This is something we have to respond to. Now!"

"Why?" Caesar carelessly inquired. "Can't we just wait until they inevitably tear each other apart?"

Alexander immediately straightened his back and looked at the italian. His face was contorted by pure anger. "Talon still has god-knows how many schematics and notes from their experiments." He hastily spoke while approaching the italian. "And Overwatch has ressources to build almost anything they ask for."

"But wasn't it that omnic's job to-?" "They can't be cut until plan A is successful!" Alexander cut him off. "But with this, they might be able to do something before we can. And before they tear each other apart. We need to move. And now!" He roared.

"What do you want me to do?" Caesar asked, but now there was some nervousness in his voice.

Alexander let out a deep, calming breath. "You said you got this from your contacts. Meaning you can still connect to those in charge of Talon?"

"Yes." The italian replied.

"Then, do you have any other contacts?" He asked.

"Well, I can't very well call Reaper or Moira, since, y'know..." Caesar started with an awkward hand-gesture. "But I can still call Akande, Maximillian and Sanjay. Those are what I can reach."

"Hmm. Maximillian and Akande are what set this in motion, so they won't be careless. At least, not enough. But you mentioned someone else. A Sanjay?" Alexander asked.

"Yes. Sanjay Korpal. He's an official for the Vishkar Corporation and a loyal citizen at day. But I doubt many know he's also a member of Talon's inner council." Caesar explained what he knew.

As a smile finally crept back up on Alexander's face, he looked behind him at his sister.

"Didn't you have an audition tonight, Nat?" He sincerely asked.

"Yes." His sister simply replied.

"Then you can just go. This will take longer than I anticipated, so you'll have to go alone. Okay?" Her brother asked with concern.

"Okay..." Nat just responded. She then turned around and slowly walked out of the room.

As the metal door closed behind her, Alexander turned back to Caesar. "Call him." He ordered. "We're gunna use him to send a message."

* * *

The dropship landed in the hangar and six obviously weary figures exited it immediately. As soon as they did, they attracted everyone's attention. It wasn't every day Talon allowed an Overwatch dropship to land after all.

At the end of the hangar, Akande was leaning against the wall, waiting for the visitors.

"Right on time. Let's go." The african man said in a neutral voice before turning around. A door opened and the group of now seven continued on through the hallways.

Looking behind him, Akande noticed his guests' eyes were constantly darting all over the place.

"I see you don't trust our hospitality." He noted.

"Would you trust us if we allowed you to access one of our bases?" 76 asked in response.

Akande scoffed. "You forget we actually have a reason for this collaboration." He pointed out.

"That doesn't mean you won't exploit that opportunity to learn about us." 76 replied.

"I believe that applies more to you than us, in this current situation." Doomfist once again pointed out. 76 was quiet.

The group continued their trek through the base. Eventually, they reached a door with the label 'Laboratory' above it. Stepping inside, they were greeted by several lines of researchers and equipment. And at the center of it all stood the person they'd least expected.

"Oh, there's our dear guests." Sombra exclaimed, before carelessly jumping over one of the tables, much to the distress of one of the researchers.

"Sombra." 76 just greeted. Even through his visor, his gaze was as venomous as his tone.

"What are you doing here?" Brigitte then asked,

Sombra just laughed. "He's more machine than man now, right?" She asked.

Ana thought about correcting her to 'more monster than man', but she decided to remain quiet.

"So why not bring in the expert of how to hack?" The mexican hacker said, not to subtly flaunting her skills. 76 just scoffed.

"Enough." Akande cut her off. He then turned towards the memebers of Overwatch. "You brought what we asked for?"

"Yes." Ana answered. She stepped forward and handed her sleeping-dart-pistol over to the african man. Although she clearly didn't want to.

"Thank you." Akande surprisingly said, before he threw it over to Sombra. "You know what to do."

"'Course, boss." Sombra confidently answered before turning around and returning to work.

"What are you going to do with it?" 76 suddenly asked. In response, Akande threw a small vial over to him.

"It's a prototype. But it should do the job." The african man said. As everyone gathered around the vial, the purple powder within it gave off a small bolt of electricity.

* * *

"Be extremely careful." Sanjay Korpal warned as his walked across the empty docks. His instincts were screaming at him to get away, but he couldn't go back. Not now. Not with her.

"As you say." Satya Vaswani responded. She was walking behind her boss, but unlike him, she wore her concern clearly.

"But... are you certain this is the place?" The Vishkar employee asked, while looked around the docks. Still empty.

"The message said so. And I don't have anything else to go by." Her boss replied.

"And the message was trustworthy?" Satya added with a quick look of distrust.

"Of course!" Sanjay responded with confidence. "When I'm called there, I always answer. And so far, I have never been let down by whoever is on the other end."

"I'll choose to trust you on that." Satya just replied. She didn't sound very convinced.

Korpal briefly considered whether bringing her along had been a bad idea. But then again, he had to admit, this was all kinda fishy. And having her as a bodyguard was a good safety-precaution. If it came down to it, he could always just lie and say he didn't know who it was.

The duo continued their trek along the docks. Both the sky and sea were pitch-black.

Finally, they reached their destination: Warehouse 07. While Satya watched his back, Sanjay knocked on the door without saying anything.

After a few seconds, the door opened, revealing the warehouse itself was as black as the ocean behind them. Only faint echoes of light could be seen at the back.

With careful steps, Sanjay walked inside. When he looked, he couldn't see anyone operating the controls to the gate.

This was just getting more and more fishy.

As Satya followed behind him, Sanjay walked inside a few more steps until he stopped, while still covered by the light from outside.

"My my, cousin Jay. Long time no see." A voice with an italian accent exclaimed as the person it belonged to stepped into the light. It was wearing protective bodyarmor and was carrying a long cane over the shoulder and a gun down the side.

"You." Sanjay just said. Something in his voice and demeanor changed, becoming more cold and ruthless.

"Did he just say cousin?" Satya asked from behind him.

"Yeah, we weren't related by blood, but we were all one big happy family regardless." Caesar answered before Sanjay had a chance to. "That was... until you let my only real family die." He then added as he pointed his gun at Sanjay.

"Your father thought he was untouchable." The Vishkar official replied sternly. "It was his hubris that allowed Reyes to shoot him, not our inaction."

Caesar didn't reply. He just lowered his weapon as his usually amused expression became serious and deadly.

"Erm, mr. Korpal? Do you know this man?" Satya now finally asked. "And... what are you talking about exactly? Reyes? His father?"

Sanjay let out a loud sigh before he turned towards his employee. "Satya..." He slowly said in a calm voice. "I will explain everything later. You have my word. But for now, just know that he is the son of an old business associate, who unfortunately passed away a while-"

A loud bang silenced Sanjay as his expression became one of immense pain.

"Don't you dare look away from me, Korpal!" Caesar flared up. Smoke was still rising from the barrel of the gun.

"You..." Sanjay said through gritted teeth. He swiftly placed a hand over his shoulder, where a red spot was spreading over his white suit.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" The official shouted as he turned towards Caesar.

"No." The italian promptly denied. "You're the one that's going to pay." He corrected. Without waiting for a response, he lowered his gun and hit the ground with his cane twice.

The lights in the warehouse suddenly came on, illuminating the entire space.

After adjusting their eyes, the indian duo looked up again. Behind Caesar, they could now see a large group of Crimson Legion operatives. Every one of them was pointing their various guns at them.

As Sanjay and Satya slowly took a few steps back, the amusement returned to Caesar's face.

"Oh, don't worry about them." The italian exclaimed. "They're not here to hurt you. They're just here to make sure there's no foul play. After all, I'm the one who got the honor of beating the ever-living shit out of you!"

Sanjay didn't respond. As Caesar slowly began approahcing him, he began backing away.

"Satya." He whispered. "On my signal, run for the exit."

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you." A new voice suddenly intervened. Both Caesar and the indians stopped dead in their tracks. When she looked around, Satya coudn't see where the voice had come from.

"What was that?" Sanjay asked, without taking his eyes off Caesar. In response, the italian just chuckled to himself.

"My new boss." He finally answered.

Satya was about to ask what he meant, but the sounds of heavy boots hitting the floor behind her stopped her.

Turning around, Satya and Sanjay came face-to-face with Alexander, with his red cape and green, delighted eyes.

"I promised Caesar he could have Korpal over there." The brit said as he moved over to the controls and pressed a button. The doors slowly began to close.

"But how kind of you to also bring a toy for me. I'm flattered." He continued. "Now our job is so much easier. Although... you may not get her back in a proper condition. If at all."

"Don't talk about me like I'm just a tool!" Satya passionately stated as she aimed her Photon Projector at Alexander, who didn't even flinch.

"But isn't that what you are?" Alexander asked, still with his smug grin. "A drill drills holes, a screwdriver drives screws, a pan cooks, a radiator warms and an architect builds. All where and when they are ordered."

"You don't know anything." Satya replied. Her eyes visibly narrowed.

"You've got a fire. I like that. A shame it had to be you." The brit just said with mild disinterest. "But regardless, Caesar, you can just start now."

"With pleasure." The italian confidently replied. Then, with surprising speed, he closed the distance between himself and Sanjay and swung the cane at him. The Vishkar official only barely managed to catch it in his own hands.

"Mr. Korpal!" Satya exclaimed as she turned around. But when she was about to take a step towards him, she felt something tug at her backwards.

With irresistable force, Satya's metal arm was pulled away from her boss. When she looked, she saw Alexander with an arm strechted out towards her. "Oh no, not yet." He said.

Instead of trying to struggle, she swiftly aimed her Photon Projector at him and pulled the trigger. The beam shot forward and Alexander barely dodged it by stepping to the side.

"Yet more fire." He noted as Satya stood up. "I like that." He said with a smile worthy of the Devil himself. Before she had any chance to get ready, he shot forward and almost instantly appeared next to her, knocking her into the door with the back of his hand.

"Satya!" Sanjay exclaimed upon seeing his only protection get so easily knocked around.

"Focus. On. Me." Caesar snarled. The pair were standing on either side of Caesar's cane, both pressing against it with all their might.

With an annoyed expression, the businessman turned towards him. And Caesar grinned.

A swift head-but knocked Sanjay a few steps away, before a hit in the back of the knee knocked him to his knees.

"How fitting of a position for a boot-licker like you." Caesar mocked. Sanjay didn't respond but just reached into his pockets.

"You will die as you have lived." The italian continued. "Looking up at someone better than you." He finished, aiming the gun at his head.

Alexander slowly made his way over to Satya. She was lying on the ground, trying to get up. But instead, Alexander knelt next to her and forced her to face her boss.

"Watch." He simply ordered.

Caesar tightened the grip around the trigger. He smirked while pressing the barrel against Sanjay's head.

"You still haven't learned." The Vishkar official suddenly exclaimed. And before Caesar could manage to ask what he meant, a blue light emanated from his hand. A large white spike suddenly shot up from the ground.

With a quick jump, Caesar managed to avoid it. He landed and looked over at Sanjay, who was standing back up. Sure enough, the bastard had some sort of device similar to Satya's synthetic arm on his right hand.

"So you're an Architect too?" Caesar asked. Though his tone was relaxed and nonchalant, the same couldn't be said about his expression.

"No." Sanjay denied. "This is just a safety precaution. I don't have the... eye, for creating worthwhile structures."

"True, the only structures you've ever been a part of, are ones crafted by others. You're nothing more than a power-hungry leech." Caesar replied, his tone slowly matching his demeanor more and more.

"Leech?" Sanjay asked. "You dare call me a leech? I'll show you what I've accomplished, you little brat!" He roared, before slamming his right hand into the ground.

A line of white spike began rising up from the ground towards Caesar with incredibly speed.

"Hey hey." Caesar commented while jumping from side to side, easily dodging the spikes. "Isn't this a bit unfair? This kind of technology against my meager weapons?"

"Want me to do something about it?" Alexander offered. Letting go of Satya's head, he placed his talon-covered fingers around her neck before she could hit the floor, and held her up against the wall, where her feet couldn't touch the floor.

"Nah, it's fine." Caesar answered as he landed on his feet. "After all, I might get an actual challenge from this." He confidently reasoned.

"I'll make sure all that confidence of yours will never see the light of day anymore." Sanjay exclaimed, now thoroughly annoyed. He then swiftly moved his hand and three spikes shot through the air towards Caesar.

The italian smirked. He then began running towards the approaching spikes while holstering his gun. The distance between them got smaller and smaller. And at just the right time, Caesar jumped. His left foot landed on the first spike. He set off and reached the second spike futher up. He set off again and reached the third and highest spike.

Setting off one last time, Caesar placed both his hands on the cane and brought it down towards Sanjay with all his might.

Reacting instinctively, the Vishkar official waved his hand and a large white arc materialized over him.

A loud noise erupted from the top of the arc.

Sanjay slowly removed the arms in front of his face and opened his eyes. He then looked at the arc and fell speechles. Some sort of metal hook had pierced it.

"What-?" He started, but he was silenced when the hook suddenly and violently was pulled across the arc, splitting it in two.

Stunned, the Vishkar official looked up. And there, he saw Caesar standing on top of the arc, looking down on him. And at the buttom of his cane, the metal hook extended out to the side like a miniature scythe.

"How?" Sanjay started. His eyes followed Caesar as he jumped down from the arc. "How are you able to do all that? Tell me! HOW?!" He almost roared.

Caesar turned back towards Alexander. "Dead men can't spill." The brit noted.

"And her?" The italian asked while pointing at Satya, who was still being held up against the wall.

"She isn't going to go anywhere troublesome. I'll make sure of that." The brit reassured.

"If you say so." Caesar just responded. He then nonchalantly placed the hook over his chest and dragged it across, cutting his shirt. It easily fell off, revealing a muscular chest as well as a mechanical right arm.

"It's the same with both my legs." Caesar explained to the Vishkar official. "So don't come here and tell me what is and isn't dangerous for me. I'll be the judge of that. And a judgement of you..." He continued while pointing his scythe-like cane at him. "Would be a waste of my time and energy."

"You BASTARD!" Sanjay roared before suddenly launcing himself towards Caesar. But the italian was prepared and jumped over.

Sanjay only barely noticed what had happened, before a bolt of pain shot through his body from his left leg.

As he let out a scream of pain and fell to a knee, he looked behind him. Caesar was standing triumphantly over him. His cane had blood on its edge.

Alexander seemed distracted. So Satya placed her hand on the wall. A faint blue light emerged, followed by a web of white wires that suddenly shot out from the wall.

Alexander, caught off guard, felt as the white wires wrapped themselves around his arms, legs and neck. Satya also slipped out of his grasp.

After catching her breath, Satya stood up and looked at the man caught in her wires. "Why..." She started. "Why would you harm someone who never touched you?"

"True, I've never felt your hate." Alexander admitted. His head was tilted and his eyes completely covered by shadows. "But I've never once felt a genuine touch of a friend. Never once have I touched an outstretched hand wishing to merely help."

Satya looked at the man before her as a realization dawned on her.

"But now-" "Now?!" Alexander cut off the Architect's attempt to reason with him. "Now I have the power to do something about this! Isn't that what everyone should have? The power to change their lives?!"

"At the cost of someone else's life?" Satya replied passionately.

"Overwatch was doomed the moment they chose to not look back at their effects on the world around them. It killed them once, but they came back. But that merely means I have to do a more thorough job. I'll purge them in the fire they themselves ignited!" Alexander almost shouted. His expression was slowly twisting into a creation of pure madness.

In a single moment, Alexander's cape twisted and turned until it formed four, bladed tendrils, each off which moved with unbelievable speeds as they cut down every wire holding him down.

Satya took a step back.

"And I'll remove every obstacle in my way!" The brit finally said.

Satya swiftly aimed her Photon Projector at him but he was faster. Merely raising his hand against her, Satya felt as her synthetic arm began to twist and turn.

As Alexander slowly closed his fist, the arm kept bending and creaking. Satya dropped her weapon and let out a cry of pain, but he didn't stop. The sheer amount of pain surging through her body nearly made her pass out and go limp. Her arm now barely resembled a limp at all, looking more like a grotesque amalgamation of metal and wires.

Alexander kept closing his hand. Satya felt as the metal attached to her began to rise, painfully pulling her upwards along with it. She desperately let out another scream of suffering, but it just continued creating more and more pain, suffering. Tears slowly began to trickle down her face, like the blood down from her shoulder.

"Every obstacle." Alexander repeated to himself. He then lowered his hand and Satya plummited to the ground, landing with a loud crash.

Lying on her back, the nearly paralyzed Achitect saw as the man who subjected her to this slowly approached. Once he reached her, she closed her wet eyes.

Alexander raised his right foot. And then he forcefully stepped on her chest. Another shot of pain surged throughout her entire body, forcing another scream of torment. "That's for those wires." He whispered.

She just closed her eyes even tighter. This had to be a nightmare. It couldn't be anything else.

Unfortunately, the monster of this nightmare didn't go away. Instead, he knelt down next to her, grapped her head and forced her to look ahead. She felt as the amalgamation of metal on her side also finally fell off.

"Hold her." Caesar ordered. One of the Crimson Legion members swiftly ran over and took over for Alexander, who walked over to Caesar and the crippled Sanjay.

"Make sure she sees everything. Every single, red detail." Alexander was now the one to order. The operative just nodded.

"Why?" Sanjay just asked without looking up. "Why me?"

"Your flare is just the right color." Alexander answered as he looked at his hand. "And more importantly..." He added as his fingers extended into five, long claws. "... it's one both Overwatch ad Talon will be able to see."

Before Sanjay had any chance to ask further questions, Alexander walked close and drove the five claws into his shoulder. With just a grunt of pain, Sanjay felt as he was lifted off his feet. And then, thrown into the air.

While the Vishkar Official soared through the air, Alexander jumped up to him. His knee easily connected with his back and the sounds of bones breaking pierced the air. With another crash, he landed on the floor.

Lying on his back, Sanjay groaned as he saw Caesar approaching. The italian took a firm grip around his cane and then swung it at him. Another indescribably painful bolt shot out from his jaw.

Sanjay desperately placed his hands over his jaw in an attempt to keep it in place. That's when Alexander suddenly appeared behind him and grapped him by his throat. The Vishkar official was forced face-to-face with a sadistic grin covered by layers of blood. None of which his.

"Let's see if I can do this without puncturing it." The brit said to himself. His voice was as sadistic and amused as his expression.

Sanjay wanted to ask what he meant, but he didn't have any strength left in his body. So he just watched as Alexander brought up his hand, where now only his index finger was a claw. He then slowly closed the distance between the claw and Sanjay's eye.

As screams of utter agony pierced the air in the warehouse, Satya chose to look around. Elsewhere. That's when she noticed her Photon Projector, lying just a few centimeters away.

Subtly, as to not alert the guard holding her, she reached for it. She almost had it. Almost. Almost... There!

With speed she didn't even know she had, Satya aimed her weapon at the soldier holding her. With a quick flash of blue light, he was gone, having dodged it.

Caesar and Alexander just barely managed to turn around before she had run off towards the exit. And in a few more seconds, she somehow managed to limp out of there.

"Stop!" Alexander ordered the Crimson Legion operatives about to give chase.

"Boss?" One of the more brave operatives asked Caesar.

"Every message needs a courier." The italian just answered without taking his eyes off the open door. Besides him, Alexander began to chuckle to himself while playing with Sanjay's eye between his fingers.


	12. Paths

**A/N: Turns out a week away from school gives you a lot more time to write. And, SquixES, thank you for that review.**

* * *

A week. For an entire week, the Overwatch team had felt as helpless as everyone else while they felt the targets on their backs grow. And they could do nothing about it. Until now.

Everyone except for Lena were gathered in the conference room, around the circular table. And on said table laid a small, opened package.

"So you kept your promise after all." 76 noted. Next to him, Ana was examining the purple powder in her sleeping-dart-pistol.

"Of course." Akande replied from the large screen on the wall. "He needs to go down, no matter what."

"On that, we agree." 76 admitted, despite sitting with crossed arms and a distrustful glare.

"Will it really work?" Reinhardt asked.

"I hate to admit this, but we're only as sure as we can be without a live test." Akande replied with a bit of shame in his voice. "But I assume that you have something planned for that?"

"Indeed." Winston confidently answered. "We're just waiting for a crucial friend to join us. Once he does, everything will be ready. Speaking of that, when did he say he would get here?" The gorilla asked as he turned towards Genji.

"It should be today. If we're lucky, it might be within a few minutes." The cyborg ninja answered.

"And he is trustworthy when it comes to this?" Akande still inquired.

"You're one to ask." 76 mumbled under his breath so no one would hear.

"He is." Genji confidently responded. "He could help me. He should be able to help everyone, since-" "GUYS!"

Lena's sudden voice pierced the air and everyone turned around. It didn't sound like her usual cheerful voice. It was more panicked. Frightened.

76 and Winston turned towards the exit, but they stopped dead in their tracks when the brit entered. She was walking next to Zenyatta, hovering in his usual robes. But in between them, they supported a woman.

The woman wore what could best be described as rags that had once been elegant clothes and her entire body was covered with bruises, cuts and other injuries. Her entire left arm was also missing, only a bloody stumb left.

Once she saw the Overwatch team, the woman somehow got free from the duo's grasp and stumbled over to the railing.

"HE'S COMING!" She shouted in a voice as steeped with fear as her expression. "HE'S COMING AND NOTHING CAN STOP HIM! RUN! RUN OR HE'LL JUST CUT YOU DOWN! HE-" "Easy." Zenyatta's mellow, robotic voice interrupted her.

The woman silenced herself and turned towards the omnic monk. "Blind panic and fear will not help anyone. Calm your mind, regain control." He said as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"But..." The woman tried to object. But she fell silent and dropped to her knees.

"Lena, what on earth is going on?!" 76 interrupted, demanding to know.

The brit turned towards him with an unsure expression. "I... don't know." She admitted. "When I answered the door, I found these two in this situation. We both offered her to rest and get examined, but... she insisted."

"Insisted on what?" Winston carefully and nervously asked.

"Warning you." Zenyatta answered for the weakened woman. As he lifted her up again, he explained: "She is Satya Vaswani. We met each other on my way here, and just like now, I offered to stop and heal her. But she denied it. She said she had to warn you before it was too late."

"About what?" 76 tried to dig deeper.

"She hasn't told me. But if I had to guess-" "You don't have to." Satya cut him off. Everyone turned towards her, as she nodded towards the table. Zenyatta, realizing she wasn't taking no for an answer, nodded back before helping her down the stairs.

The three newcomers sat down around the table. "So what did you-?" "Jack!" Angela cut 76 off. "Take your time." She then said to Satya in a much softer voice.

Satya nodded. She then started telling everything. About the mysterious message Sanjay had recieved, about the ambush by Alexander and the Crimson Legion, about what they did to Sanjay and about how she escaped. Everything.

"He... did such horrible, vile things. And he enjoyed it, I'm sure!" She finished the tale. As several nervous glances were exchanged around the table, Zenyatta carefully wiped away the tears. "I just... don't get what message he could possibly wish to send with such an act of violence." She admitted.

As 76 and Doomfist exchanged yet another glare, Winston turned towards Angela. "Take her to the med-bay and do what you can for now. We'll take a closer look later." He ordered and the swiss doctor nodded.

"He's clever. Much more than I anticipated." Akande thoughtfully admitted once Angela and Satya had left.

"Why?" Lena asked.

"The aforementioned message he wished to send us." Akande explained. "It actually sends two. First, to the public, it will seem as though he is not only targeting you, but everyone who's been friendly to you. However, to us, this means something different: He knows about our temporary alliance."

A collective shock went through the Overwatch team. "How dammit?!" 76 flared up.

"If I knew that, we wouldn't stand in this situation." Akande pointed out. "But the fact of the matter still stands. Sanjay Korpal, a member of Talon's inner council, is most likely dead. Killed by Alexander."

Everyone was silent. "I apologize our reunion had to be so grim." Genji whispered to Zenyatta.

"I do not blame you. This is just bad luck." The omnic monk replied.

"No, this has nothing to do with luck." 76 objected. "We were set up, actively fought against."

"Seeing everything as your fault will wear down your soul." Zenyatta warned back.

"I haven't collapsed yet." The old soldier simply stated. Zenyatta sighed and a rather awkward atmosphere began to spread throughout the room.

"Regardless, Zenyatta. Are you ready for the day ahead?" Winston asked, partly to relieve the undesirable mood.

"Yes, I have read everything you have sent. A grim situation, but I applaud your thinking. I stand ready to assist in any way." He answered.

"We're not changing anything?" Lena asked while sounding a bit concerned.

"What can we change? What does this tell us to change? We just need to look over our shoulders a bit more, that's about it." 76 argued.

"I suppose." The brit just said. She obviously didn't sound very satisfied, but she couldn't think of anything wrong with what he had said.

"Then it's settled." Winston exclaimed. "I'd like to run a few more things over with you, Zenyatta, but aside from that, everyone be ready for when we move."

Everyone around the table nodded with determination.

* * *

Natalia Caeden let out a loud sigh as she let her head land on the desk in front of her. She tried placing a hand on the desk, but swiftly gave up. Getting a small nap might not be too bad. Slowly, she felt as she drifted further and further away.

"Ms. Lockwood?" A sudden voice, along with a few hard knocks on her door, woke her from her slumber.

"Yes?" Nat swiftly responded while raising her head from the metal desk.

"You have a visitor." The female voice outside the door explained. The statement immediately woke Nat up from her sleepy state. Visitor? She wasn't expecting anyone.

After a few seconds of consideration, Nat responded. "Let them in." She said.

With no further comments, the door to the makeup-room opened and in stepped a familiar omnic, wearing a black suit with red tie and holding a bouquet of colourful flowers.

"Oh, Alfred." Nat exclaimed in surprise. Of all people, she hadn't expected the UN politician to show up.

"A pleasure making your aquiantance once again." Alfred Eagle politely greeted. "Ms. Lockwood." He then added, with some sort of hint in his voice.

"What brings you here?" Nat curiosly asked before turning to face him.

"I simply wanted to congratulate you on getting this new role." Alfred explained. "I wanted to come and see the audition, but international matters unfortunately kept me away. Regardless, now I have time. Congratulations!" He said as he bowed and extended the bouquet to Nat.

Slightly bewildered, the young actress nonetheless accepted the gift. But as she took it, she noticed the ring around Alfred's right audio-reciever.

"I... well, uh... thank you." She stuttered.

Alfred just chuckled to himself. "It would be nice to drop the charade between us though." He then admitted while scanning the rest of the room. Though Nat was the only one sitting at the makeup-station, there were still a few people rustling around with costumes behind her.

"Excuse me!" Alfred suddenly said and the people between the costumes looked up. "Could we ask for some privacy?"

The costume-guys looked at each other for a few seconds. Then, with a shrug of the shoulders, they walked away, leaving them alone.

"Now, allow me to properly congratulate you, ms. Caeden." Alfred repeated himself.

"Oh, I... thanks, again. I appreciate it." Nat replied. Her cheeks were rapidly becoming more and more red.

"Of course, if you ever need my help, don't hesitate to ask." Alfred offered. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you get into theatre? It's not a very popular district of entertainment anymore."

Nat was silent. He seemed to have struck a nerve.

"When Al... dissapeared, I was left with a large sum of money. I could get a proper education, but that would take time and besides, I didn't want to sit in some old classroom along with other people several years younger than me." Nat willingly explained, although it seemed to take a bit of a toll. "So I decided to use some of the skills I'd already learned, the lies and deception I used to steal our basic living-supplies. And what better place to fool people than as an actor? Of course, movies or TV would never work. I didn't have any connections. I seemed to have a better chance here, to I took it."

"And that was about a year ago?" Alfred asked. Nat just nodded. "I see..." The omnic said before he fell silent.

"I like you Alfred." Nat suddenly admitted out of nowhere. The omnic looked at her, slightly taken aback. "Much more than the others. That's why I'm telling you this. The only other person who knows is Al and..."

"You'd prefer to keep it that way?" Alfred finished her sentence for her.

As she nodded in confirmation, the omnic crossed his arms and leaned up against the desk. Something in his demeanor seemed changed. "I'll do that. You can tell them when you feel ready. But I wanted to ask about something else. What is you and your older brother's relationship?"

Nat looked up at Alfred in surprise. "Come again?" She asked.

"I realize you have some baggage and that you won't tell me no matter how much I ask. So I won't. But... I hope you don't take this the wrong way. Alexander doesn't seem... right. The anger, the hate, all of those emotions... this may be because I'm an omnic, but they seem... well, unnatural." Alfred finally managed to say.

Nat lowered her face and her blue eyes became hidden behind her raven hair. "All Al has ever wished for was a quiet, peaceful life for us. But everyone else constantly broke those dreams. Eventually, that just got to him."

" _Walk on the scattered shards. Cutting both feet and heart._ " Alfred mumbled to himself while listening to Nat.

"What?" The actress suddenly asked.

"A poem I once read." Alfred explained before reciting it in its entirety: " _Dreams shattered by the world's eye. Wings to nevermore fly. Walk on the shattered shards. Cutting both feet and heart. Left is only your tears. And the injected fear._ "

Nat was completely silent. "I remembered it because we're quite similar in that regard, me and Alexander." Alfred continued. "Though our dreams may be different, we've both experienced how it is to have them shattered over and over again."

The omnic chuckled to himself. "Oh, look at me. I came to celebrate your new role, but here we are, talking about crushed dreams. Let's move on."

With a swift move of his hand, Alfred grapped the remote and turned on the TV in the corner, mostly to break the grim mood.

"Say, I've been wondering something." Nat admitted. Her voice now sounded less grim.

"Yes?" Alfred just said.

"How did you get into the UN? I... sorry, but I can't imagine any country who would be willing to support someone with your..." Nat tried, but she couldn't find any words she found appropriate.

"Views?" Alfred offered, thankfully not sounding offended in the slightest. Nat nodded in response.

"That's because I don't represent any country." The omnic calmly explained. "I represent a certain group in the population with certain views. Just like some others represent large corporations or other groups with specific views."

"And do you represent omnics who want revenge for the Crisis?" Nat blurted out.

"Put rather bluntly, yes." Alfred answered.

"Sorry." The actress swiftly apologized as she nervously rubbed the back of her neck and looked around.

"It's fine. Not many even-" The omnic started but he silenced himself when he saw Nat's expression. She was completely entranced by whatever was on the TV.

"Call Al now." She whispered.

"Why?" Alfred asked while following her gaze. Upon seeing the TV himself, he gasped. "Oh no. I'll tell him immediately." He said.

The omnic swiftly turned around and walked out while Nat kept staring at the TV. A news-broadcast was on. And the headline read: ' _BREAKING NEWS: Overwatch has announced a public memorial service at the Eichenwalde Castle for those fallen in the Omnic Crisis_ '

* * *

"You ready?" A voice suddenly asked from behind. Ana removed her eye from the scope of her rifle and looked behind her. 76 was standing and looking at her.

"As ready as I can be." The veteran sniper answered.

"I know how that feels." The soldier replied. He then walked over next to her and sat down with his back against the cobblestone wall. "More and more these years, it seems." He then added in an unusually tired voice. He then placed a hand over his mask and removed it.

The pair looked at each other for a few seconds, tired eyes in aging faces exchanging looks. Eventually, Ana let out a sigh.

"Thinking about retirement?" Jack asked as his gaze shifted to the blue sky above. "Letting the next generation take over?"

"I could never relax, knowing my daughter's running around in a world where men like him also live." Ana stubbornly answered before looking down her scope again.

Further down, in front of the castle's wooden door, other members of the Overwatch team, as well as several construction workers and even Sombra, were working on the final details. Behind a small podium, a large object was covered by a purple, silk cover.

"I'll stick around until he's gone. For good." She added as she zoomed in on Winston, Genji and a construction worker, standing and talking about something.

"Of course." Jack said. His eyes slowly wandered down to the sleep-dart-pistol hanging by her side.

"What about you?" The egyptian sniper asked back. "Thinking about finally putting down that worn rifle and living peacefully? Perhaps return to the life on a farm?"

Jack chuckled. "You know me. You know my place is the battlefield. It has been ever since I became this."

"Will it also be your grave?" Ana directly asked.

"Perhaps." Jack answered honestly. His voice was still tired. "It may very well be. 'Dying the way you've lived'. That's how it goes."

"Isn't it the same for me then?" The sniper asked.

"No." Jack instantly denied, earning him a curios look from her. "You have a daughter. You have to-" "You have something more important!" Ana cut him off. "We all have. Each other."

Jack was quiet. "We all have each other." Ana continued before looking back through her scope. "So don't go around saying who can and can't die with a good conscience. No one can. And that's as far as it goes."

The soldier remained quiet as his gaze once again lifted itself to the sky. "You're right." He eventually gave in. "Sorry."

To his surprise, Ana just laughed. "You haven't changed at all, Jack." She mumbled to herself.

Jack just chuckled to himself as well. Now in silence, the sniper looked through her scope, down at the preparations below. But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find her anywhere.

"What're you two up to?" A cheeky voice suddenly asked behind her. Ana sighed and turned around to look at Sombra.

"Preparations." The egyptian sniper simply stated.

"You?" Jack asked back in a rather hostile voice as he placed the mask back onto his face.

"Much the same." The mexican hacker answered in a bored voice. "But it's all so tedious. Oh well, what can be done?"

"Does your preparations include stalling ours?" 76 asked.

"Oh, don't be such a downer." Sombra implored. "I just came to give a warning." She then explained before turning towards Ana. "That vial is something I spent god-knows how many hours making. And more importantly, it's the only one we got. So you better not miss."

"She doesn't." 76 stated, although Ana chose to ignore him.

"You get him in my line of sight, I'll pull the trigger. You do your job, I'll do mine." The sniper said sternly and confidently.

"If you say so." Sombra just replied as she turned around and shrugged her shoulders. Her tone didn't reveal whether she believed Ana or not. "But remember, this goes south, I'm out. I'm not risking my neck for you."

"The moment you said yes to this, your neck became on par with ours. At least in his eyes." 76 off-handedly remarked. Sombra just scoffed before turning invisible with a swift flicker of purple pixels.

With a grunt, the old soldier managed to also stand up.

"As much as I hate to admit it..." He slowly started while Ana looked back through the scope. "She has a point. Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes, I am." The egyptian sniper answered sternly.

"Even though everything might end up riding on you?" Jack kept asking.

"Especially because of that." She replied.

"I see..." He then mumbled to himself. "You know, you haven't changed the least bit either."

As she sighed, Soldier 76 turned around and threw his rifle up on his shoulder. "I'll see you later." He said as he started walking away.

"I hope so." Ana mumbled. Her voice was too low for Jack to hear.

* * *

Dark, grey clouds were gathering above the Eichenwalde Castle. In front of it, and on several elavated platforms around on the walls, a large group of people were likewise gathering.

Much further back, seven long queues were waiting for their turn through the metal detector.

At the detector in the middle, a man in a black trenchcoat and red hair covered by a similarly black cap walked through the detectors. The moment he stepped inside, a yellow light flared.

"Got anything to declare?" The security omnic asked.

Instead of answering verbally, the man raised his hand and removed a glove, revealing a mechnical hand.

"The same for my legs." He said.

"Please step out here." The omnic nevertheless urged while stepping away from his seat. The man followed him a few steps away from the detector, before they stopped. The omnic pulled out a scanner and a green light went up and down the man's body.

After a few seconds, the scanning stopped and the omnic looked at the device. "A metal arm, two metal legs..." He mumbled before exclaiming a surprised grunt. But after pressing a few buttons, he seemed to relax.

"Everything checks over." The omnic said. "You're free to go."

"Thanks." The man simply replied. The pair then walked past each other, as the man pulled down his cap, before continuing forward. Towards the main event.

Now sufficiently hidden between other people, the man removed the cap. And as soon as he did, a blonde color washed over his hair.

With a satisfied grin, the man hid the cap under the coat and continued forward through the crowd of people.

After pressing through, he eventually reached an elavated platform with seats for further spectators. He swiftly made his way up and found nearly every seat taken. Except for one. The second-to-last seat in the row furthest back.

The man sat down. Next to him sat a guy with white hair, who was looking out over the crowds.

"Everyone is set up?" Alexander asked without taking his eyes off the people below.

"Yes." Caesar answered. "Now they just need the signal."

Alexander chuckled to himself. "Just look at them." He urged in a delighted voice. Though unsure why, Caesar nonetheless moved forward in his seat and observed.

In front of the constantly whispering crowd, an empty podium hid several members of Overwatch, including Winston, Lena, Genji, Soldier 76 and some omnic with weird pants. With his battle-hardened eye, Caesar also spotted a sniper up on the stone wall and something else, something pink, was hidden behind it.

"What do you see?" Alexander asked.

"Precautions." Caesar answered. "This might not be as easy as predicted."

"Wrong." The brit corrected. "There's only one sniper. And they allowed a crowd in here. They're only expecting me and perhaps you. Not the entire Crimson Legion." He then said as his eyes danced around to several, quiet people in the crowd.

"You've got a point." The italian admitted. "By the way, remind me to thank doc for whatever he taught you. Those detectors only managed to pick up on my limps, nothing else."

"Complete metal camouflage." Alexander mumbled to himself.

But after a short chuckle, he turned towards Caesar. His eyes were now deadly serious. "And you didn't tell them about her involvement?"

"But of course." Caesar replied proudly, for some reason. "Nothing is more authentic than the real thing after all."

Alexander turned away. "I hope she manages to follow my instructions clearly. This was on rather short notice after all." He admitted. This was likely the first time Caesar had ever heard worry in his voice.

"They know better than to touch her." He said.

"They better." Alexander just replied. A few seconds of silence followed, but the brit quickly broke it. "Looks like it's starting."

When Caesar looked, he saw Genji, the cyborg ninja, stepping onto the podium. Behind him was that weirdly dressed omnic.

"Should we also move?" He asked.

"Yes." Alexander just answered.

"I'll let them know." The italian replied before standing up and moving over towards the stairs down. As he did, Alexander jumped over the railing and down onto the cobblestone ground, while everyone was distracted by Genji.

And as he began to move through the crowd, he mumbled a single word: "Showtime."


	13. Virus

**A/N: I can imagine you've been waiting for this, so I won't be stalling anything. Enjoy!**

* * *

A knock on her door forced Emily out of her couch and over to her front door.

"What?" The redhead exclaimed, obviously annoyed. But when she opened the door, all that dissipated. In front of her stood a heavily breathing Catherine. Her usual ponytail was also messy and seemed rushed.

"Cat? What's the matter?" Emily asked.

"The... Service... it's..." The raven-haired woman tried to answer, but her lack of breath kept her from achieving that.

"What? Come in and explain it to me." Emily urged before stepping aside.

"Thanks." Catherine just said before stepping inside. As she made her way into the living room, she gradually seemed to get her breath back under control.

Emily quickly closed the door behind her and followed her into the brightly lit room. There, she looked at Catherine nervously. "Why are you in such a hurry? Is there something urgent?"

"Yes." The ex-Talon scientist answered. "That." She then said as he pointed at the TV.

Emily looked at it, where the memorial service was being broadcasted live from Eichenwalde. It was almost starting. "What... is happening?" She slowly asked, frightened by all the possible answers.

Catherine finally finished catching her breath. "I know what they were thinking. But this isn't going to work." She said.

"What isn't going to work?" Emily kept asking.

"Appeasement!" Catherine passionately replied. "Making amends. Trying to apologize! That's what they're doing. Trying to apologize to Alexander and settle this peacefully with understanding."

"What's wrong with that?" The redhead objected.

"Nothing." Catherine answered with a sigh. "But that's not how he sees it! To him, this is an insult!"

"How?" Emily kept pressing.

"I... don't know." Catherine admitted. "Whenever someone presses his past, he just becomes incredibly hostile. More so than usual, I mean." She quickly added.

Emily sighed as she began to slowly walk around the room. "They're in danger, aren't they?" She asked through her hands.

Catherine just nodded.

"What you've told us so far has held up." The redhead thought out loud. "But what would you suggest I do with this?"

"Tell them." The ex-Talon scientist answered.

Emily immediately spun around and looked at her. "Tell them?" She repeated. "You mean interrupting them? In the middle of this? What if I end up ruining something?"

"What if they end up dead because they were unprepared?" Catherine replied, completely silencing Emily. "Look, you said it yourself. What I've told you so far has held up. So just call them and tell them what I've told you. Let it be up to them if they believe it or not and what to do."

Emily sighed yet again while clasping her hands over her face. "I hate this." She mumbled.

"I know." Catherine responded. "But please, don't put more bodies on my conscience."

Emily removed her hands and looked deep into Catherine's brown eyes. Though they still had that weird, almost unnatural, quality to them, she could still see the pure emotions in them. There seemed to be no lies.

"Alright." She gave in. "I'll let them know." She said before moving over towards the phone.

"Thank you." Catherine genuinely thanked. Emily didn't respond but just picked up the phone and dialed in Lena's number.

* * *

"Welcome everyone and thank you for answering on such short notice." Genji greeted the crowd, which went silent instantly.

"Though this occation may not be a particularly cheerful one, it is one we have deemed as necessary." The cyborg ninja continued. "Recent events have forced us to reflect upon ourselves and the way we influence others, people like you. And that reflection made us realize the influence we were spreading were not in accordance with the world we wished to create. A safe, peaceful and understanding world, to be precise. So we have decided to change this. And the first step is to look at our past."

Genji held a brief pause before continuing. "Of course, this isn't only about us. It's about everyone who was affected by the cataclysmic catastrophe known as the Omnic Crisis. Everyone. Though we were in the end victorious, that victory didn't come without a cost. A heavy cost, and one we've repeatedly wished there had been a way around. A cost that robbed people of their loved ones and families. For years, while we may have all individually dealt with this in different ways, us as a global society has just tried to bury it and forget about it. I can speak from personal experience that this is not the way to handle the loss of anything."

As Genji continued with the speech, Lena suddenly felt something vibrate in her jacket's pocket. It was a call from Emily.

The brit looked around. It seemed like there was no eyes on her, so she quickly walked behind the stage as quietly as possible, before answering the call.

"Hey, Emily." Lena greeted, once again, as quietly as possible. "This is... really not a good time. Could it wait?"

"Lena." Emily replied. Something in her voice completely caught Lena's attention. "Look, I know but... I have CC with me."

"CC?" Lena asked. It had been quite a while since they had heard anything from her.

"Yeah, and... it doesn't look good." Emily added. Her voice sounded both serious and tired.

Lena looked behind her, where Genji was still talking and the others were standing behind him, watching the crowd. No one had noticed her leaving yet. "I..." She started in a really strained voice, debating within herself what to do. "Okay. Tell me." She finally said.

Behind her, Genji continued the speech. "So today, we, Overwatch, will stand as the example and lead the way forward to deal with this. As we should. So our society can move on in a healthy way and we can all accept this and not desperately try to forget. This is the first step, which we will take, and we hope that the ones following this will be tread by the world as a whole and not just us or lone individuals. So as the first step towards a better, more accepting future, we would like to unveil-" A sudden scream tore through the crowd and Genji silenced himself.

On the bridge in front of the gate, amidst the dense crowd of people, a woman had backed up against the cobblestone wall along the sides. Her frightful stare was aimed at a single person in the crowd.

Alexander, with his hands in a black trenchcoat and a nonchalant expression, turned towards her. The people around him also began to back away.

"You!" The woman shouted as she pointed at the slowly approaching Alexander. "Y-Y-You're him! You-" "Have lost the element of surprise thanks to you." Alexander cut her off.

Once the brit was right in front of her, he leaned down and looked her deep in the eyes. "How are you going to repay me for that?"

The woman didn't answer and just fell to her knees in fear.

"I know." Alexander exclaimed. He straightened his back and then, still with his hands in his pockets, kicked her. The wall behind her shattered and pieces of it followed her down towards the river.

A scream continued for a few seconds before stopping as quickly as it had started, being replaced with splashing sounds.

A few brave onlookers dared to look out over the edge. A red stream was emerging in the river's otherwise clean, blue water.

"Is that him?" Zenyatta whispered.

"Yes, master." Genji replied, also whispering.

Alexander slowly turned towards the Overwatch crew. He then extended his arms out and closed his eyes. The trenchcoat began to dissolve, turning into a black mist that swirled around him. His scale-like armor and red cape quickly materialized on him.

Done transforming his attire, Alexander lowered his arms and looked at Overwatch. His eyes were already red and narrowed.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" He asked. His voice was calm yet seething.

"What we've told. Honoring our fallen." Genji confidently responded.

"Don't fucking lie to me." Alexander bluntly stated, surprising quite a few. "I know just as well as anyone what you're really doing. You can't fucking hide it behind pretty facades. You've figured out where I've come from and now you're desperately trying to appease me, to apologize. Too bad that's gunna work about as well as the friendship between Reyes and Morrison."

76 stepped forward but Zenyatta raised a hand before the soldier could say something brash. "Calm down." The omnic monk whispered.

"While what you've said isn't false." Genji argued. "What we're doing reaches beyond your mere personal vendetta with us. Sure, we're trying to settle this peacefully, but this is more than just that."

"You still believe I can be talked to?" Alexander asked in disbelief. "Just how naïve are you?"

"Just call us naïve." Winston was now the one to talk. "But every human has some good in them. We just have to reach it."

Alexander stared at the gorilla in complete and utter disbelief. He then bended forward and started giggling to himself. Before long, his quiet chuckle turned into a genuinely amused, but also mocking laughter. Once he stopped, he raised his left hand. "Too bad for you, I rejected my humanity when I became this." He said before snapping the raised hand.

Everywhere among the crowd, the coats of various people suddenly dissolved and reattached themselves as body-armor, their faces became covered by demonic masks. Now that their coats were gone, they also aimed their exposed weapons around them.

"He sure likes his theatrics." Caesar mumbled as he looked out over the frightened crowd. He was hanging on the side of the wall, his mechanical hand holding onto the edge.

"Oh well." He then murmured to himself before pulling himself up and landing on his feet. "Sorry to interrupt your moment there, ms. sniper." The italian started as he nonchalantly walked towards the crouched Ana. "But I'll have to stop your show now."

The sniper merely turned her head slightly to look at her new guest. She didn't seem worried at all.

"Oh please give me something more interesting than that." Caesar pleaded. But Ana's stone expression didn't change. Instead, her hand suddenly knocked two times on the ground.

"Cat got your tongue?" Caesar mocked. "Gotta speak in morse now? That's too bad. Then you won't-" Pink flashed before the italian's eyes before he was violently knocked to the side. Reacting instinctively, the italian, falling towards the river, extended the blade in his cane and hooked it onto the wall

Letting out a sigh of relief, Caesar now looked up. On the edge of the cliff, an angry, korean girl was staring at him from the cockpit of her MEKA.

"Aw, shit." He let out. But he knew Alexander wasn't going to come to his rescue. He'd have to take care of this himself.

"Everyone, DOWN ON THE GROUND!" Alexander's voice roared across the entire area, reverberating and echoing. Several Crimson Legion operatives also fired warning shots up into the sky.

Though everyone was thoroughly terrified, they quietly obeyed Alexander's order, in the simple hope he wouldn't kill them.

Satisfied, the taker off all these hostages turned towards Overwatch again. "Look who suddenly hold all the cards." He said while gesturing with his arms, like he was presenting all the hostages.

"Not all." 76 tried objecting.

"Ah, you're talking about your little sniper." Alexander said with glee. A small shock went through some of the Overwatch members. "Don't think so." He then added while sending a knowing stare to Caesar.

The italian nodded. He then began to swing back and forth on his cane, using the loose link in his mechanical shoulder to get extra distance. After a few swings, he let go of the cane and almost flew up towards Hana, who was still too focused on the sudden hostage-situation. But she quickly reacted once Caesar landed on her mech.

With a swift spin of the upper body of the mech, she tried to shake him off. But Caesar dug his fingers into the mech's plating and he remained stuck to it.

Realizing shaking him off wasn't an option, Hana instead forced her cannons to try and aim for him. But as they forced themselves into a position they weren't build for, they also gave Caesar plenty of time. Time which he used.

76 suddenly aimed his rifle at the duelling duo.

"Tsk tsk tsk." Alexander said as his cape transformed into four blades, which he placed under four different hostages throats. "No moves." He said.

The soldier reluctantly lowered his rifle. It would be difficult to hit them anyway, he told himself.

With his other hand, Caesar lifted himself up and managed to place his feet unto the mech's surface. But as they were about to dig in, he noticed something. A swift duck, and an immense spray of pellets flew by over him.

"Annoyances." The italian mumbled. With a swift set-off, he jumped over to the left cannon and mounted it. All three of his mechanical limps dug deeply into it, as Hana began swinging it around wildly.

Despite being shaken about like a toy, Caesar stubbornly remained on the cannon, while pulling out his hand-gun with his only human limp. With six inhumanly fast shots, he fired into the barrels of the cannon, two in each.

But as he accomplished that, the arm stopped swinging. He curiously looked up, only to stare down the barrels of the other cannon.

"Shit." He exclaimed.

"Gotcha!" Hana likewise exclaimed. She pressed the button, but her comment had given Caesar time.

The italian barely managed to dodge the pellets by jumping off the cannon and landing on the display-glass surrounding the cockpit.

Caesar sent a swift smile down to Hana in the cockpit. But she remained focused on the task and moved the cannon in position to fire.

"Take this!" She said.

She activated the cannon. The pellets flew forward, but in a predictable pattern. Caesar easily dodged them and they instead hammered into the glass of the cockpit.

Though she knew the mech couldn't hurt itself, the pellets still created small splashes on her display, obscuring her vision. So she let go of the trigger.

The second the cannons fell silent, Caesar landed in front of it. Six other bullets went into the cannon's barrels just like before. Two in each.

"Dammit!" Hana blurted out as she tried to redirect the cannons again. But before she could, Caesar just jumped down in front of the mech. Holstering the gun, he turned towards her and placed his hands behind his back.

"Your move." He confidently said.

Hana just stared at him for a few seconds. Ana also turned around to observe the strange turn of events. But then a thought struck her. Had he...?

"Hana, no!" The egyptian sniper shouted, but it was too late. The korean gamer pressed the triggers. Immediately, several small explosions erupted from the cannons, setting them ablaze and completely destroying them from the inside.

As she shielded herself from the blast and heat, Caesar chuckled. "Explosive bullets are truly useful." He said while pulling out his gun, reloading it and aiming for the cockpit. He fired once and the bullet got lodged in the hard glass. A second shot and they connected, erupting in another explosion which finally shattered the glass.

"Gah!" Hana said as shards of glass flew past her, one even cutting her cheek.

Once the smoke had cleared, she carefully opened her eyes. Caesar was standing, ready, right in front of her. Before she could react, he grapped her by the collar and pulled her out of the mech. She landed hard on the stone beneath her and the italian quickly placed a foot on her throat, even harder.

Desperately struggeling to get loose, Hana looked up at her captor. He suddenly extended his mechanical arm and the sound of metal came from the edge of the platform. After a few seconds, the scythe-like cane came flying back to his hand and he replaced the foot on her throat with the blade just above it.

Ana was about to throw something at him, when he smiled. "If you engage me, you won't be able to shoot when it really matters." He pointed out. Just for good measure, he also pressed the tip of the blade into Hana's throat, drawing a single drop of blood.

Ana looked like all she wanted to do was punch him. But she eventually sighed. "I'm sorry." She said before returning to her scope and aiming at Alexander.

Finally done, Caesar looked down at Alexander. "All done!" He shouted.

Alexander just nodded. "I'll admit, I don't know what your plan was with that." He then admitted as he turned back to Overwatch. "But that doesn't really matter anymore, does it? One move, and not only will half of these people loose their lives, so too will your precious pipsqueak up there."

"Why half?" Winston blurted out before thinking.

"If I killed everyone, I wouldn't be in a very good position to bargain, now would I?" He asked as an answer.

As the members of Overwatch lowered their heads, Alexander saw Lena was still discreetly on her phone. He smiled.

"Think about it." A calm, mellow voice suddenly urged. Alexander turned towards it and saw the odd omnic from before.

"And who exactly are you, you floating rustbucket?" He asked.

"Who I am doesn't matter right now-" "TELL ME OR I'LL FUCKING CUT HIM OPEN!" Alexander roared as he pulled up a man wearing a suit, likely a news-reporter.

Zenyatta calmly raised his hands. "I am Zenyatta." He answered.

"See, that wasn't so hard." The brit said as he let go of the reporter.

"Now please listen." The omnic monk urged while extending an arm out towards him. Alexander looked at him with cautious disbelief. "Please tell me, what do you hope to gain from this?"

"Sending a message." Alexander answered immediately.

"No, not for us or others." Zenyatta replied. "What do you hope to gain for yourself from this? What does your soul stand to gain from this bloody crusade?"

The brit remained cautious. "Vengeance." He reluctantly said.

"Revenge accomplishes nothing but staining the soul." The monk replied. "And I can see yours has already been stained by the mere wish of it. It has been scorched by how fiercely the wish has burned. I can clearly see it."

"You're a robot. What the hell do you know of emotions?" Alexander defended.

"Only that which I have experienced, processed and understood." Zenyatta calmly answered. "But within the Iris, everyone is equal. And I believe that It can see a way forward for you too. One with no more bloodshed."

"Shut up." Alexander mumbled.

"One where your soul can be healed. It's fractured and you don't know what you want. You're just driven by the emotions of the past. But those emotions can't keep up with your surroundings." Zenyatta continued regardless.

"Shut up shut up shut up." Alexander continued to mumble as he closed his eyes.

Instead, Zenyatta extended a hand. "Come. If you abandon your way, I can help you. The Iris can help you. You just have to let go of your past and embrace your future. A future with-" "SHUT UP!" Alexander finally managed to shout. But something strange happened.

Alexander clapsed both his hands over his ears and closed his eyes tightly as he began to stumble around. His legs seemed to not completely obey him, making him constantly readjust his stance. The cape also began to flow despite there being no wind.

His breath began to become rapidy unstable, going from raspy to deep and back constantly. And then, it was as though his very body began to blur, like he was glitching.

* * *

Catherine observed the TV and the events occuring on it with an incredible amount of interest. She had covered her mouth with her hand and her eyes didn't move an inch.

Then suddenly, she perked, as if she'd remembered something.

"What?" Emily asked. Catherine just turned towards her with an incredibly worried expression.

* * *

Alexander finally opened his eyes and looked at the members of Overwatch. His eyes were downright glowing, sending out a red light.

"GET DOWN!" Emily's voice suddenly shouted. No one asked questions and just instictively obeyed it.

A moment later, Alexander extended his arms and let out a sound that wasn't entirely human. It was a scream, a painful, hateful scream, but he didn't sound human. No, it was more mechanical, more synthetic, like a machine screaming instead of a man.

As his scream continued, he began to rise above the ground floating in the air. Winds picked up. Bolts of electricity erupted from various parts of his body.

"What the hell is happening. Should we take him out, boss?" An operative asked Caesar over comm.

"No, wait!" Their boss ordered. He looked down on the shifting Alexander. The machine-like scream pierced the air.

As suddenly as it had started, the scream ended. Alexander fell down onto his knee. His cape fell down over his back like his hair fell down over his eyes.

Slowly and carefully, Lena stepped forward. "Stop!" Emily suddenly shouted from the phone. "CC says it isn't safe."

Lena stopped. And sure enough, Alexander managed to stand up. His eyes were closed and he had a hand over one of them. He looked unnaturally exhausted.

Alexander finally reopened his eyes and looked through his fingers. They were still red but at least not glowing.

He just stood like that. Breathing heavily, but silent.

Zenyatta carefully approached him. "What happened to your father was a tragedy, I'm sure." He carefully said. "But instead of seeking vengeance for it, you should accept it and move on. Only then will you see a brighter tomorrow, instead of a dark yesterday."

Alexander just looked at him. Then, a small sound rose up from him. A laughter. His hand fell down and his eyes could now stare down Zenyatta with the purest insanity the monk had ever been witness to. His laughter rose and rose, eventually filling the entire space.

"You think I care about the man who abandoned us? The one who left his family to go fight in some backwater middle-eastern country? Why THE FUCK should I mourn a bastard like that?!" He asked. But as he did, he smiled.

"And before you ask, I couldn't care for his bitch either!" He continued. "All she wanted was him, not a family. Sure, his death broke her, but that only gave her an excuse. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. So we left. And I made sure she could never follow us again. Ever. Again."

Alexander's smile faded. "I fight for vengeance. But not vengance for the bastard or his bitch. No, I fight for vengeance for a world which looked the other way."

As he continued, Alexander suddenly grapped a nearby woman by the neck and lifted her up. "When we were left with no hope, who came to our rescue? Who offered a piece of themselves, so we could go on without sacrificing our souls to fill our stomachs?! I'll tell you." His other arm turned into a long blade which he placed under the woman's neck. "No one."

Alexander slowly, and seemingly unconsciously, continued to drive the blade further and further up under the frightened woman's neck. "Not a single person stopped to help us! Not our fellow people, not the government, not people with money to spare and certainly not Over-"

Alexander let go of the woman and he fell limp. Caesar, who had been distracted by the events on the bridge, swiftly turned towards Ana. She was standing straight and aiming the empty sleep-dart-pistol at Alexander. "I couldn't allow another casualty." She explained over comm.

"I see." Winston merely responded.

"A shame. I was just getting to understanding him." Zenyatta noted.

Everyone just stood and watched. No one really knew what to do or say. The Crimson Legion operatives just stood and stared at each other. Caesar seemed to be debating with himself, while keeping Hana hostage. The civillian hostages started looking at each other in confusion.

"Oh man, I didn't think it'd work this well." Sombra suddenly exclaimed out loud as she appeared behind Alexander. "I mean, I made it, but still... wow." She continued as she touched the dart sticking out of Alexander's neck.

"What now?" 76 asked.

Sombra smiled. And it was an uncomfortable smile. She then snapped and Alexander raised his head. His eyes were purple.

"Of course I could control his systems. The problem was getting it inside him. So I cannot thank you enough, Overwatch. And Doomy..." She continued while looking at a camera. "I'm sure you're watching. Thank you for all the support as well."

"What-" 76 was about to ask something else. But Sombra merely raised a finger and Alexander took a battle-ready stance.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." The mexican hacker said while waving her finger. "Don't do anything rash."

"So this was your plan from the start? Take control of him and then what?" Winston now was the one to ask the questions. Although he remained still.

"Of course!" Sombra exclaimed. "He's a machine, _estúpido_. And I can hack any machine or system. And now... I don't know what I'll do now. I mean, look at this!" She exclaimed while moving away from Alexander and observing him.

"I have what is likely the most powerful individual on the plant on my leash. I could do whatever I want now! But... I wonder how all those tiny bots of his are adapting to their new master. A test never hurt anyone, now did it?" She said before her eyes wandered over to Overwatch.

"You can't be serious." 76 mumbled under his breath.

"You, boy. Take out that ape." Sombra said while lazily waving an arm.

Before anyone could react, Alexander had dashed over right in front of Winston. And with one punch, he knocked the gorilla back, straight through the wooden gate, shattering it.

* * *

"No." Catherine mumbled. Her voice sounded nearly heartbroken.

If Emily hadn't been paralyzed by the turn of events as well, she would've tried to comfort her. But she just stood and stared at the TV in silence.

"No no no no no no." Catherine continued.

* * *

Winston managed to open his eyes. He was lodged into the cobblestone wall of the castle, likely bleeding from somewhere and his white armor crumbled.

Raising his eyes, he was met by the shattered wooden gate. And through it, a figure walked towards him. Its cape flowed elegantly behind it and its eyes glowed purple.

"Winston!" Lena shouted as she blinked next to him. With her help, the gorilla managed to get out of the wall.

"You bastard." 76 exclaimed as both him and Genji moved in to attack. But in one swift motion, the brit turned around and threw a line of knives. Most missed, but one pierced the soldier's wrist and three hit Genji, one in the wrist and two in the chest.

With the pair taken care off, Alexander turned back to Winston. He started approaching him, his metal boots echoing off the stone floor.

With Lena's help, Winston managed to stand up again. "Go." The gorilla said through gritted teeth.

"No, I won't abandon you!" Lena tried objecting.

"Go!" Winston just repeated. Lena didn't object, but she didn't move either. She just stood and looked at the nearly beaten gorilla she'd grown to call her friend.

"Oh my, how sweet!" A voice suddenly said. When she turned towards it, Lena saw Sombra sitting on a wooden cabinet, obviously enjoying the show.

"You..." Lena hissed.

"I think you've got bigger things to worry about." She noted before pointing a finger at the approaching Alexander.

As Sombra's puppet continued on, something came at him from behind. But without looking at it, he caught Zenyatta's orb of destruction in his hand. He slowly closed his hand, crushing the metal orb.

The mexican hacker laughed in delight. "I had not hoped it would all turn out this well." She managed to get out.

Lena sent her a venomous stare. "Please, go." Winston urged from beside her. But when he tried to move forward, his left leg failed him and he collapsed.

"Like hell I will!" Lena defiantly objected. And before Winston could argue with her, she had already drawn her pistols and was blinking towards Alexander. As she opened a barrage of bullets on him, he didn't even flinch. But she didn't stop. She went closer and was about to open a second barrage when his hand interrupted her path and caught her.

With his hands firmly locked around the collar of her coat, Lena knew this was it. She couldn't run. But he just looked at her with his purple, empty eyes.

"Good good. Dispose of her." Sombra ordered. But he just looked at her. "Oi, have your ears stopped working? I told you to finish her!" The mexican said, now louder and more annoyed.

In one swift motion, Alexander twisted his torso and launched Lena. She collided with the unexpecting Sombra and they both fell down behind the cabinet.

Sombra managed to raise her head and look around first. That's when she heard the footsteps. Turning around, she saw Alexander. He was smiling.

"What?" She exclaimed.

As Alexander began approaching her, she tried crawling backwards. A calm red color also washed over his eyes.

"Aw shit." She exclaimed before attempting to cloak herself. But with a single movement of his hand, Alexander sent a spike straight through her leg, pinning her.

She screamed but he didn't stop. Upon reaching her, he knelt down in front of her. Silent, he reached up to his neck and pulled out the dart. It was still filled with the purple powder.

"I kept it just on the edge, so it appeared like it had hit me." He explained in response to her confused expression. "I figured you weren't thorough enough to actually properly check. And look where we are now."

"You bastard!" Sombra shouted before pulling out her SMG. Alexander caught her wrist and shattered it.

"Now now, behave yourself." He said while she once again screamed in pain. He then grapped around her throat and pulled her face right in front of his. "You're lucky I need you alive. Otherwise, I would've turned you into an unrecognizable pulp of flesh, right here and now." He whispered.

He squeezed her throat. She struggled, but he kept squeezing. Eventually, she fell limp, unconscious.

Standing up again, Alexander heard the sounds of Lena waking up. When she opened her eyes, she found him right in front of her. "You're back to normal?" She asked. "How? Did... I, do something?"

"Don't flatter yourself." Alexander hissed before kicking her in the face, breaking her nose, shattering her goggles and knocking her unconscious as well.

Done with his business, Alexander went over to the limp Sombra. With very little care, he flung her body over his shoulders. He then walked back onto the carpet and saw Winston, still struggling. "You've gotten my message, haven't you?" He asked.

Winston looked up at him. "Of course." He got out through his grunts. "But, just answer me this..." He then urged. "What... are you going to do with her?"

"Do you really want to know?" Alexander asked back.

"... No." The gorilla finally answered.

"Good choice." The brit just said before turning around and walking towards the shattered gate.

As he walked, the struggling Genji laid in his path. With just a swipe of his finger, he launched the cyborg ninja into the wall.

Upon exiting, the sun had finally broken through the clouds and it briefly blinded him. But once his eyes adjusted, he saw everything was pretty much as he had left it. Caesar's standoff with Ana had just gotten a bit more intense.

"Everything worked out." Alexander shouted to Caesar. "We even got a bonus."

"Haha! I told you he would pull through!" Caesar triumphantly shouted to his subordinates. The remaining members of Overwatch just looked at him with grim expressions.

"Mission complete." Alexander said as he started walking through the hostages. "Let's leave. For now."

With another elegant bow, Caesar jumped off Hana and landed next to Alexander. The pair then calmly walked away, as the Crimson Legion operatives slowly but surely fell in behind them.

* * *

Emily breathed a sigh of relief. Now it was over. Finally.

But when she looked to her left, she found no one. She was the only occupant of her apartment now.


	14. Distorted

**A/N: And here is another one. Before it starts though, I wanted to mention that, in this chapter, a line is crossed which can't easily be uncrossed. So please, keep reading and experience it. That's all I'll say. Enjoy.**

* * *

He recognized this. This green, worn couch, this TV, this view from the windows. No doubt about it, this was Aldsworth. His home. Or at least, it had been.

Still sleepy, Alexander managed to raise his head from the couch. Running a hand through his black hair, he could feel just how messy and unkept it was. He would need to get it cut soon.

He sat up and stared blankly at the TV's black screen. Wait... when was the last time he'd been here?

"AL!" Nat's desperate and scared scream tore him out of his thoughts. With just three jumps, he was over the couch's back and in the doorframe to the kitchen. And there, he remained, stuck.

In front of him, Natalia was backed up against the wall, crying and looking up at their mother with utterly terrified eyes. And their mother, she was looking at Nat with eyes like a hungry hyena. Predatory eyes. And she was holding a knife.

"I... have nothing..." Their mother mumbled like in a daze. "Then... you shouldn't... either..."

Seeing his little sister like this, Alexander lost all control of his body. Instinctively, he rushed forward, past his mother, while forcing the knife out of her hand on the way.

Taken aback, their mother just stood and stared while Alexander jumped in between them and pointed the knife straight at her.

"Al..." Nat exclaimed through her cracking voice upon seeing him.

"Get away from her!" Alexander roared while threatening her with the knife.

Their mother just looked down on them. Her usually well-kept black hair was in shambles around her face. And her eyes were completely empty.

"Matt..." She murmured as she looked at Alexander. "You're so much like him. Why couldn't they have taken you instead of him!"

"He volounteered! And don't compare me with that coward!" Alexander returned.

"Oh right... he did..." She continued to murmur in her daze. "He... left..." She said. And then, it seemed some sort of life returned to her eyes as she looked down on her kids.

"Natalia... Alexander... I..." She tried. Eventually, she just hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry."

Alexander scoffed. She seemed normal now, but he knew. Deep down, her true colours were just lying in wait, waiting to strike. And one day, they could. If they hit him, so be it... but if they hit Nat...

"Nat." He said without turning around. "Go to your room."

"Al, what-" "NOW!" Her older brother commanded. Though frightened, she got up and left in a hurry.

Though he relaxed in his body, Alexander still gritted his teeth. It had been like this three days ago too. And a week ago. And two weeks ago. And three. Ever since that cursed letter from Overwatch had landed in their mail.

Determined, he took a step forward. Then another.

"Alexander?" His mother asked like he was total stranger in their house. That enraged him even further.

He took another step and looked up at her. She seemed downright frightened when she saw his eyes.

"A-Alexander?" His mother continued to ask.

"I... won't let you harm her. Not now, not ever! Not even in hell!" He said. And then, he jumped onto her, knocking her on her back. As they landed, with him sitting on top of her, he immediately plunged the knife into her stomach.

Alexander felt a shiver go down his body. A large red spot was spreading across his mother's stomach and the knife. She screamed. Of course she did.

"Shut up!" He demanded before pulling the knife out and stabbing her again. She didn't stop.

"SHUT UP!" He repeated. He pulled out the knife with even greater force and he could feel the warm blood that sprayed onto him. But he continued relentlessly.

Another stab. She continued to scream as the blood violently gushed from the ever-increasing amount of wounds in her stomach. Alexander continued to stab with more and more savagery.

Another stab. More blood sprayed on him, but he continued.

Another stab. She screamed. He wished to drown that scream in blood. Her blood.

Another stab. This was all for Nat, for her safety. He told himself that. Again and again.

Another stab. The blood was starting to spread out over the floor and onto his pants.

Another stab. Each stab parted the flesh easier and easier.

Another stab. Or perhaps it was just becoming easier to do it mentally. Either way, he didn't care.

Another stab. He'd lost count now. And he wouldn't be able to count either. Not that he wished to.

Another stab. She finally fell silent after one last gurgling sound.

Alexander pulled out the knife before plunging it in deep into her heart.

It was done. His hands slowly drifted off the knife's shaft and he looked down himself. His shirt, pants and likely face as well were all covered in blood. The distinct smell of iron also began to creep inside his nose.

He slowly turned his hands and looked at them. They were completely red, covered in blood.

He let out a sigh. Then, a hand suddenly attatched itself to his wrist. He looked and saw his mother's dead and bloody face somehow turning towards him.

"You cannot get rid of me that easily." Her voice echoed from seemingly everywhere around him. It was dark, almost demonic.

Suddenly scared, Alexander desperately grapped the knife from her chest and plunged it into the side of her head. Though more blood spilled out on the floor, she didn't flinch.

"You can kill my, but you can't kill your memory of me." She taunted.

"Let go of me!" Alexander objected. But she wouldn't let go, no matter how much he pulled.

"It's useless." She said. "I will never let go."

Alexander suddenly felt an intense heat around him. When he looked up, the entire house was ablaze, fire spreading everywhere, licking every nook and cranny.

"What...?" He said. He felt the flames gettting closer and closer. His instincts kicked in and he once again tried with all his might to pull himself free.

"I will never leave." His mother said in her demonic voice. "I will haunt you forever, Alexander."

He kept trying to pull himself away. His mother's voice saying his name kept echoing around him. Much more than everything else she had spoken, in fact. He looked up. Another voice was in that echo. It was far away, but it was getting closer.

"Al... Al..." It said, from somewhere distant.

"Nat!" Alexander shouted, trying to figure out where it came from. The flames grew closer and closer.

"Al... Hey, Al..."

* * *

"Al!" Nat's voice finally reached him. With an intense jolt, the older brother shot up in his chair and looked around. He was sitting at the table in their base at the London harbor. Only Nat and Caesar were in the room with him.

He noticed his sister was looking at him with an unusually worried expression. "What?" He asked.

"You... just..." She tried but she couldn't bring herself, so she began fiddling with her white shirt instead.

"You spoke in your sleep." Caesar revealed for her. "Words like 'her' and 'shut up'. You also seemed incredibly uneasy."

"Hm." Alexander just noted. He looked down and saw some claw-marks in the table. Regardless, he stood up.

"Al, are you... are you okay?" Nat asked. Though she was obviously nervous about aking him, she was also very worried. More so than nervous.

"Of course." Her brother confidently answered.

"If you're certain, then the doc's ready for you." Caesar explained before pointing to the door to Caulfield's lab.

"I'll be there shortly." Alexander said. With a shrug, the syndicate-boss turned around and left. With him gone, Alexander placed a hand on Nat's shoulder. "Wait for me here." He said in a soft voice. "I'll be shortly back."

"Okay." She just replied.

As she hung her head, Alexander turend around and walked inside the lab. Inside, he was greeted by Neil, who was standing and reading something.

"There you are." The scientist neutrally commented.

"You wanted to talk?" Alexander replied.

"Report is a more accurate word." Neil corrected. He then put the stack of paper he was reading down behind him. "As instructed, I started analyzing her coat and hand-held devices. But I've only been able to uncover the method with which she activates, and deactivates, the invisibility. It itself remains a mystery."

"So there's only one option left." Alexander noted before letting his eyes drift over to the bruised and unconscious Sombra who was hanging on the wall. With a snap of his fingers, she woke up and frantically looked around.

"W-Where the hell am I?!" She demanded to know.

"Exactly." Alexander cryptically answered as he slowly approached her. "Hell."

"You..." The mexican hacker exclaimed. "Hey, listen, I didn't intend to use you. At least, not for my own problems. That was just an act I put on, to convince everyone. So they wouldn't think I was doing something out-of-character."

As she blabbered, Alexander walked in front of her and silently listened. "Listen, there's something more going on. Talon, the UN, hell, even Overwatch and the Omnic Crisis, there's been someone behind it all from the begin-" She was silenced when Alexander placed a hand over her mouth.

"And why should I care?" He coldly asked. "Do you think there is some sort of hidden, altruistic motive to my actions? Then let me tell you... there aren't."

He slowly removed the hand from her mouth, but she remained silent. "Last chance. What's the secret to your invisibility?"

"I could've been persuaded." Sombra answered. "But I've realized you'd only use it to kill for your own gain. I will not let that happen. No way, you fucking madman!"

"So the selfish hacker has a noble side after all." Alexander mumbled to himself. "But none the wiser. That was the wrong answer. Neil!"

Without a single word, the scientist went up next to his employer and began to put on surgical attire.

"Think you can handle this?" The brit asked.

"While I may not have studied surgery before, I know how electronics work." Neil answered. "And that's all I need to know."

Alexander grinned. And after a few seconds, Neil turned around, ready, with a syringe in his hands. He then began approaching Sombra, when the syringe suddenly exploded in his hand.

As Neil just looked at his wet hand, Sombra lifted her head. "What was that?" She nervously asked.

"The sedative." Alexander answered as he lowered his hand.

The mexican hacker's eyes widened as a primal panic began to set in. "No." She mumbled. "No no no no, please don't! I-I..."

Neil slowly turned around and looked at Alexander, awaiting his response.

"She understood what she was getting herself into." He answered the scientist's questioning look.

"If that's the case, I would like some assistance moving her." He noted in a completely neutral voice.

Without saying anything, Alexander once again raised his hand. And with four small clicks, the chains around Sombra's wrists and ankles loosened from the wall and began to carry her over towards a make-shift operating table.

"You're sick! You know that, right?!" Sombra raged. "YOU'RE NOT FUCKING HUMAN!"

"I came to terms with that a long time ago." Alexander just coldly replied. With another four clicks, Sombra was locked onto the table. "You know what to find, even if it kills her, don't you?" He then asked Neil.

"Of course." The american said.

"And if it doesn't...?" Alexander continued.

"I know." Neil just continued without turning towards him. He then walked over to the operating table, where Sombra looked up at him with wet eyes.

"Please... aren't you human?" She begged.

"Know I recieve no pleasure from this." Neil coldly stated instead as he began reading a scalpel. His eyes then lowered themselves down to her. They looked at her as if she was merely a thing. "But you will recieve no pity either."

Sombra just began to quietly weep to herself. "Broken." Alexander mumbled. "Just the way I like them." With just a few steps, he walked outside. Nat was waiting for him next to the exit.

"You ready?" He asked while approaching her. She nodded and he approached her.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" An ear-shattering scream tore through the entire room and Nat nearly jumped in surprise.

"Looks like I'll need to teach him some patience." Alexander mumbled to himself as he swiftly covered Nat's ears and lead her down to the rest of the warehouse, where the screams were only faint.

Looking around, Alexander saw a few Crimson Legion jets and even some sort of dropship. How they'd managed to smuggle that, he couldn't even imagine. Amidst it all, Caesar was walking around, seemingly inspecting the equipment.

"You know what to do with her, once he's done?!" Alexander shouted across the warehouse. Caesar just sent him a thumbs-up.

"Good." The brit said. He then turned back to Nat, who still had a bit of a scared look in her eyes.

"There's nothing for you to worry about." He tried to calm her down. "It is all an effort to keep you safe. There's nothing they can do to you. I'd catch every bullet, okay?"

"If you say so." She simply responded.

"Let's go home." Alexander continued. With a rejuvinated expression and an enthustiastic nod, Nat followed behind as the pair left the hangar.

* * *

" _Catherine Crawford. Nurse Recordings for the Demigod Initiative #3._ " The recording echoed throughout the laboratory. Winston sat in complete silence and listened with great intensity.

" _They are now moving forward with his augmentations. It's supposed to be a gradual development after all, as dr. O'Deorain said. We can't just switch his entire body at once._ " Catherine explained. " _Even though our conversation yesterday was as short as our first one, they still took it as a good sign that he spoke at all. So they were given the green light._ "

She sighed. " _He was doing exercise when I entered. Push-ups. So I sat down in silence before asking him how he felt. He didn't respond, so instead, I tried asking why he was doing exercise. He said it was to kill boredom. And while I didn't see anything wrong with that, I still warned him that moving his muscles made it harder for the nanites to settle in. Then he just said to give him something else to do. And I'll have to admit, there isn't much to do in a white cell with just a bed and a glass wall._ "

There was a rather long pause before she continued. " _But it seemed as though he took my advice. He stood up and rested his forehead against the glass wall. Since he didn't say anything, I carefully tried asking if it still hurt. He looked at me for a few seconds, but not in the eyes, before he turned around and walked over to the bed. He just said that of course it did before laying down. I-_ "

"Winston?" Angela's concerned voice asked.

The gorilla immediately paused the recording and turned towards the voice. In the doorframe stood the swiss doctor, who looked at him with great concern.

"How is everyone?" Winston asked.

"Satya is still unconscious, but her condition has stabilized. I can't speak for her mental well-being though, we'll have to examine that, once she wakes up." She said as she entered the lab. "As for everyone else, it's mostly scrapes or smaller wounds. They should be done in no time. Although Hana's pride has taken quite a big hit."

"I can imagine." The gorilla commented with a small smile. But the smile quickly dissapeared.

Angela straightened her back and her expression became more serious. "What about you?" She then asked.

"I'm getting better." The gorilla dismissed the question. He then moved his bandaged arm up and down a bit, before turning towards her. But the collar around his neck forced him to use his equally bandaged back instead.

"You know that's not what I'm talking about." Angela replied sternly.

Winston looked at her for a few seconds. He then sighed before turning back to the console with the records.

"Look at yourself!" The doctor suddenly implored. Winston turned around in surprise. "You're sitting all alone in this dark laboratory, sitting through those goddamn recordings, completely negating sleep and meals with us! And then you have the audacity to tell me, to my face, that you're fine?!"

"Well, what do you want me to do?!" Winston asked back. "This is the only way I can do something against him, while injured! And if we don't figure something out, he's just going to kill everyone! If what he said is true, then we truly don't know anything about him!"

"Can't you see you're just letting him win?!" Angela retorted. "He wants us to argue, to split! And I don't want that to happen."

"Neither do I. But how do you suggest we fight such a thing?" Winston asked.

"Together." Angela immediately answered. Winston looked at her, seemingly perplexed, so she elaborated. "He wants us to fight. That way, it'll be easier for him to fight us. So please... consider that."

The swiss doctor stopped and looked at him in anticipation. Winston didn't know what to say.

Eventually, he sighed. "I know..." He started. "I just don't want to see more unnecessary pain. More unnecessary suffering."

Angela was about to speak again, more sternly, when he turned back to her. His expression calmed her down again. "But I get it." He said. "Sorry. I'll just listen to this, and then I'll be there. I'd like to see to our patients' conditions as well."

With a smile and a sigh of relief, Angela turned around and walked towards the door, before stopping in the frame again. "I'll be waiting then." She said.

Once she was gone, Winston turned back towards the console. "Athena, turn the lights on and continue the recording." He ordered.

"Yes, Winston." The AI replied. And as the lights ignited, the recording continued:

" _\- didn't see any point in pressing the matter any further, so I just let it go._ " Catherine spoke. " _But then I went over some questions I'd been thinking about. Like why he agreed, what he wanted to do once this was over. But his answer to all of those were silence. Can't say I was surprised at this point, but still dissapointed. So I then asked if that was everything, and once again, silence. So I started packing, but as I was about to leave, he pulled the same trick as our first meeting and left me with some final words. This time, he said that the answer to all those questions was change. He wanted change. His kind. I didn't want to press the matter any further, so I just thanked him and left. And that was everything. Signing out._ "

* * *

The pair entered Nat's apartment, and while she closed the door behind them, Alexander walked straight into the living room. The hood around his head dematerialized and the white washed through his black hair.

He continued moving, until he stood right in front of the window overlooking the artificially lit streets London and the black night sky.

Carefully, Nat entered the room after him and observed him. Though he was looking out the window, his eyes seemed distant and he somehow seemed nervous.

"Al?" She carefully asked.

He scoffed. "What right does that omnic have, to mess with my head?" He mumbled to himself, but Nat still heard it clearly.

He had been like that ever since Eichenwalde. He had put on the facade that nothing had happened to his subordinates, but Nat could see it clear as day. Something wasn't right.

"Scarlett better make it worth the extra effort." He them mumbled before turning around.

As her bother began pacing around the room, lost in thought, Nat felt a small fire ignite in her. "Al?" She tried again.

Her brother stopped dead in his tracks and looked at her. "Yes?" He asked. His voice was low and gentle, unlike before, where it had been more assertive and orderly.

"What... I mean, are you okay?" She corrected herself.

Alexander audibly sighed. "I don't know." He eventually answered, although it didn't make Nat very comfortable.

With a sudden resurge of energy, Nat went over to her brother and placed her hand around his. Before he had a chance to ask any questions, she lead him towards the couch. There, she sat down next to him. "Tell me everything. I'm here for you." She reassured.

Alexander was quiet for a few, uncomfortable seconds. "Nat..." He eventually spoke, and she listened intensily. "I... Am I doing what's right for us?"

"U-us?" Nat blurted out, as she felt the blood rising to her head.

"Yeah." Alexander just continued without noticing. "You, my sister with her entire life ahead of her, and me, your older brother who's supposed to look after you."

He then turned his head slightly to look at her. "I said it before, but I'll say it again. Taking down Overwatch is only second, to keeping you safe. But... am I doing that?"

As he spoke, Nat looked at him with concern and wished she could just do something, anything, to reassure him.

Alexander turned away and looked at his hand. "Am I truly doing the right thing here? For us?"

Nat cursed herself for not finding anything to say. But when she looked at her brother, he just looked lost in thought again. He had done so much for her, he was the only one she had ever been able to truly count on, and now she couldn't even do something as simple as reassure him?

Thinking about that, and looking at her brother, Nat felt as an unusual but pleasant feeling began to spread through her. He suddenly seemed so dependable, so lovable. And that's when an idea appeared in her head.

"Al?" He heard her gently say while placing a hand on his shoulder. After shaking himslef out of his thoughts, he turned towards her.

"Yeah, wha-?" He started, but he was interrupted when her lips unexpectedly pressed against his and he was pressed onto his back. Completely surprised, he just watched as Nat continued to kiss him. Once she was done, she sat back up and looked down on him. Her eyes were sultry and clear as day.

"Nat, what the hell are you doing?" Alexander demanded to know, although due to the surprise, he didn't sit back up.

"I wanted to cheer you back up." She replied.

"But I-" A sudden gasp from Nat silenced him.

"Did... did you not want this?" She said in a voice on the brink of breaking. "Did... did I just assume things? Did-" "No! No no, that's not it!" Her brother reassured her before she broke. "I just wanted to know what you were thinking." He explained.

"I just... wanted to show you that you were doing the right thing." She explained though she averted her eyes.

Alexander looked at her for a few seconds. He then chuckled. "Was it, huh? Then..." He suddenly sat up and wrapped his arms around a visibly shocked Nat. And as one arm pushed her down with him and the other went up under her shirt, he whispered in her ear. "Show me."


	15. Ash

Alexander slowly opened his eyes and was met by a wooden ceiling. And from the feeling of what he laid on, he was on a bed.

Turning his head to the right, he observed the rest of the bedroom. Three closets were lined up against the white walls and a tall mirror hung on the opposite side of the room. The black curtains were pulled out in front of the only window, so the sun's light couldn't reach inside.

A small groan and the feeling of movement caused Alexander to look back at the bed where he laid.

Nat was sleeping further down on the bed. And whether it was conciously or in her sleep, she had wrapped her arms around his torso and one of her legs was also spread out over his. Only a blanket covered both of their completely naked bodies.

Now that he was aware of her, Alexander could also feel the rising and falling of her chest against him.

Though the sight and sensation brought a smile to his face, he knew he couldn't stay like this for long. So slowly and carefully, he disintegrated his body from right to left and reassembled it on the floor.

As Alexander stood up again, he heard Nat groan as she grapped the blanket covering her more tightly.

Alexander just stood and observed her with a smile, as his clothes materialized onto him again.

With a sigh, he turned around and was about to walk out, when he noticed Nat's panties on the ground. With a smirk, he stepped out into the hall, where her trousers also laid on the floor.

Alexander stood still for a few seconds. He then extended his arms out to pick up her clothing.

With her garments in his hands, he walked back into the living room, where most of her clothes laid scattered around the couch. Alexander chuckled before approaching.

Once he was done, he carefully placed the stack of clothing on the couch. He stood and silently observed the room for a few seconds.

He then reached down for the pile, but stopped in his motion when a beeping noise sounded from his head. After silently cursing whoever dared to interfere with him and his peaceful moment, he answered.

"Yes?" He asked, trying his best to hide his annoyance, as he unconsciously walked over to the windows and looked outside.

The person on the other end, a Crimson Legion operative, talked to him for a few seconds.

"HE'S DONE WHAT?!" Alexander suddenly roared while placing a hand on the window. "Why?!" He then demanded to know.

After hearing the answer to his question, Alexander placed a hand over his head and gritted his teeth.

"Al?" A voice carefully asked.

Alexander immediately looked up and saw Nat looking at him, only covering herself with the blanket.

The older brother stood and wondered what to do. "I'll take care of it. Don't say anything to him." He then ordered the operative before closing the line.

Done with the conversation, he moved over and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I need to take care of something." He quickly explained before suddenly embracing her. "I'll be back shortly."

Letting go of the embrace, he looked down at the flustered Nat. "Stay safe." He said.

Nat thought about what to say to this sudden change. But before she could find anything, her brother turned around, opened the window and jumped out.

* * *

The doors barged open and a panicked lackey ran through it. "Ashe! Ashe!" He desperately called out.

"What?" The leader of the Deadlock gang replied, obviously annoyed at the disturbance. She was lying on an old couch with a glass of whiskey in her hand. Around her, the rest of the Deadlock gang turned towards the lackey from their various activities.

"T-there's something coming towards us! Something big!" The lackey tried, and failed, to explain.

"What's 'something'?" Ashe demanded before taking a sip of the whiskey.

"SHIPS!" The lackey finally explained. "Dropships and fighters!"

Ashe spat out her drink. "What?!" She asked, now even more furious. Ever since their gang had taken control of this valley, no air-company had dared place any rutes over here. So this was completely unexpected.

"No matter." She eventually added so the lackey wouldn't begin confusing her anymore. "Everyone, get off your asses and get ready!" She then ordered. "B.O.B. You guard the vault. Everyone else, get in position."

Done ordering everyone else, she turned towards the lackey who had brought the news. "You. With me."

Not able to deny her, he just followed her outside the hideout and onto the observation-platforms. There, Ashe turned back towards him.

"Where?" She asked. With a nervous finger, he pointed out over the seemingly bottomless valley.

"Oh shit!" Ashe exclaimed upon finally seeing them. "What the hell did we-?" She was silenced when a sniper-bullet pierced the head of the lackey next to her and pinned him, skull-first, to the rock wall. Stepping back in surprise, she saw as the bullet dissolved into a thin, black smoke.

With a grunt of annoyance, she turned back towards the approaching ships with a pair of binoculars. About three dropships and two combat-jets, as far as she could tell.

After quickly kneeling and closing the eyes of the dead lackey, she stormed back inside.

"Boss, what's happening?" Another lackey asked.

"Just get ready! Defensive positions! And prepare for a though battle!" She dismissed the question.

With no further comments, she stormed past preparing Deadlock members, until she reached her personal quaters. And after grapping her Viper, some dynamite and her shotgun, she returned to her troops.

An eerie silence settled in, as the distant sounds of ships and jets became more and more clear.

Ashe looked out over her defences. Snipers were set up on nearly every wall and perch, her toughest fighters had taken cover near the entrance and the more delicate ones behind them. And Ashe herself found herself in the midst of them all. No cover.

She smiled to herself.

The sounds of jets and ships suddenly vanished completely. There were no sounds from the outside at all.

As the silence once again settled in, Ashe's red eyes wandered over her troops. Every one of them was ready and willing to fight. Just the way she liked it.

More unsettling seconds passed. Every nerve in the room twitched. And then it happened.

With an enormous explosion, the front gate was blown open and a stream of Crimson Legion operatives poured inside the base.

Ashe narrowed her eyes. "KICK THEM OUT!" She then shouted and her troops unleashed an unholy amount of gunfire on the approaching force. She herself also joined in adding to it.

After a few seconds, the leader of the Deadlock gang looked down. Sure, there were operatives who fell, but it was far less than usual. "Did they get an upgrade?" She mumbled to herself. But after realizing it wouldn't help, she shook the thought. "DON'T BE AFRAID TO KNOCK 'EM DOWN WITH YOUR FISTS!" She added before continuing with her gunfire.

A few of her lackeys took her up on her offer and jumped over their cover. But as soon as they did, an endless stream of gunfire cut them down.

"DON'T MINDLESSLY CHARGE, YOU DUMBASSES!" Ashe scolded. But there was no need.

The Crimson Legion operatives in front, most of which carried shields and some even carried swords, managed to reach the barricades and breach them. Soon, streams pured inside.

"ANYONE WHO TAKES DOWN LESS THAN 15 OF THEM WILL PERSONALLY GET A TASTE OF MY BOOTS!" Ashe shouted.

The morale-boost worked, and the Deadlock gang charged the invading operatives. In merely a few seconds, it devolved into chaos, with fighters on both sides using everything from guns and swords to their fists to fight.

A pair of operatives with shock-staves quickly caught the exposed Ashe in their sights and charged her.

With a steady hand, the leader of the Deadlock gang aimer her Viper and pulled the trigger twice. The bullets pierced one's head and the other's leg. And in a swift move, she spun around and fired her shotgun at the operative trying to sneak up from behind.

Two more charged her, and she aimed her Viper. She pulled the trigger twice, but one missed and the operative quickly closed the distance.

He swung his sword at her, but she blocked it with her surprisingly sturdy Viper. And with a swift kick to his groin, she knocked him on his knees. She aimed her Viper and the pulled the trigger.

"ASHE IS HERE! FIRE!" A voice suddenly shouted.

Ashe turned towards it and saw the operative she'd only shot in the leg. "BLAST HER AWA-!" He was quickly silenced, but now a large group of operatives lined up at the gate and took aim.

Ashe merely smirked as she reached behind. "GO TO HELL!" She shouted before throwing the bundle of dynamite. As it soared through the air, she aimed ger Viper, ready to pull the trigger the second it was in range.

A gunshot sounded and the dynamite exploded, unleashing a shockwave and an obscuring smoke-cloud. But it wasn't Ashe. It was shot too soon.

Everyone turned towards the smoke-cloud, which hid nearly the entire entrance. And then, a voice spoke from within it. "You all continue the assault. I'll take care of her." It confidently said.

Sure enough, a single figure began to appear in the smoke-cloud as it strode forward.

Not wishing to prolong anything, Ashe aimed her Viper and fired at the figure. With one, unnaturally swift move, it reflected the bullet, which whisked right back past Ashe's ear.

With just a chuckle, Caesar stepped out of the smoke-cloud. He stopped and looked at the situation, before his eyes landed on Ashe. "Elizabeth!" He gleefully exclaimed before pointing his cane at her. "It's been so long. How's life treated you?"

"Good. Until now." She replied, equally confident and gleeful.

"True." The commander of the Crimson Legion agreed. "It's the devil himself who've come to talk, after all."

Ashe just chuckled. "Devil? You're nothing more than an imp, a trickster with no real threat. All your gimmicks won't work here. And speaking off, what the bloody hell are you wearing?"

Caesar extended out his arms and looked down himself. His mechanical arm and legs had gotten a black protective layer and his human arm and torso were covered by surprisingly thin body-armor. He was also wearing a pair of sunglasses and a red pattern went over his body-armor, which collected in the Crimson Legion symbol on his chest.

"A gift." He answered.

"Who would be willing to give someone like you a gift?" Ashe continued asking before slyly adding "Well, whoever it is, they don't have any damn sense of fashion."

Several laughters went through the Deadlock gang.

Caesar visibly tensed and gritted his teeth as he ran a hand through his blonde hair. "I... see..." He mumbled. The Crimson Legion operatives behind him looked at each other, before stepping several feet back.

"I... see..." Caesar continued. He threw the cane over to his human hand and aimed his mechanical at one of the laughing Deadlock lackeys.

"You mentioned I wasn't the Devil." He said through his gritted teeth. His eyes lifted to meet Ashe's. "And that's true. I'm not the Devil. I'm Faust."

"What-" Ashe started, but she stopped when Caesar's mechanical hand detatched itself from the arm and launched itself towards the laughing lackey. It attached itself to his surprised face and with one solid squeeze, crushed the head, spraying blood and bits of brain everywhere.

As the body fell over and Caesar's hand landed on its back, Ashe just looked on in disbelief.

"ANYONE ELSE WANNA COMMENT ON MY STYLE?!" Caesar roared.

"Goddamnit." Ashe quickly mourned the loss before regaining her composure. "Take that thing now that it's detatched!"

"Bad idea." Caesar hissed. And before Ashe could call off the order, he snapped his fingers. All five fingers of the detatched hand extended out as spikes, each piercing a head of a seperate Deadlock lackey. Using the new attachments, the hand lifted itself up before it flew back to its owner and reconnected.

"What do you even want here?!" Ashe now asked, utterly furious but also knowingly cautious. "You seem to be pretty well off, so what do we have you want?"

"Money?" Caesar replied. "No, nothing so cliché. I wanted to test these new toys and, well... I was bored." With an apologetic smile, he reached up and snapped his bloodstained, mechanical hand. The second he did, the operatives behind him opened fire.

"Shit!" Ashe exclaimed as she dove behind cover with her gang.

"Come out come out, wherever you are..." Caesar playfully sung to himself.

With gritted teeth and flaming eyes, Ashe reached into her pockets and began reloading. "Make sure that bastard pays!" She shouted to her subordinates before peeking out of cover and shooting twice. The bullet aimed at a Crimson Legion operative hit, but Caesar deflected the one flying towards him.

"So that's where you are..." The italian mumbled before aiming his pistol at the flimsy cover. A gunshot sounded, followed by an explosion, knocking Ashe several meters back.

"Continue forward." The Crimson Legion commander ordered. "I'll join you once I'm done here."

He then began to casually walk forward, towards Ashe. While her nerves were already at their breaking point, his confident whistling finally made her snap.

"DON'T YOU DARE UNDERESTIMATE US!" She shouted. And in a move so swift Caesar couldn't react, he stood up and fired her shotgun at him, point-blank. The blast knocked both back. Ashe, being prepared, hit a wall and softened the impact with her arms.

Caesar, who was taken aback by the action, landed hard on his back and tumbled backwards.

After a few seconds, he began to get back up and saw his operatives looking at him. "What're you looking at?!" He hissed and everyone looked away immediately.

Getting back on his feet, he tasted something. He ran a hand over his mouth and looked at it. Blood.

"So that's the game we're playing?" He asked.

Ashe had already gotten back up and was aiming her Viper at him. She pulled the trigger and Caesar launched his hand towards her to block the bullets.

Ashe fired four bullets. Each and every was defelected by the hand. She dodged to the right and as the hand lodged itself into the wall behind her, she fired at Caesar. The italian jumped to the side, then forward, then deflected a bullet with his cane.

He reached back for his pistol while deflecting another bullet. Two swift shots connected, exploding behind Ashe. The blast knocked her forward, but more importantly, enveloping her in a thick smoke.

She quickly got up and looked around in the smoke. It was silent. Too silent. She aimed her Viper and spun around, constantly aware.

The smoke to her left darkened and she just managed to place her Viper between her and Caesar's cane. The force of the impact cleared the smoke around them, and Ashe now saw him clearly up close. His eyes were glowing and gleeful, his lips bent in an entertained smile and his blonde hair was laid back. If he hadn't been who he was, Ashe might've considered a one-night-stand with him.

Regardless, she pulled out her shotgun and aimed it at his chest. But he was prepared and kicked it out of her hand.

In a moment of surprise, she let down her guard. And with a jump and a spin, Caesar's mechanical leg conncted with her back, knocking her away.

Ashe got up quickly, but Caesar just stood, leaned up against his cane, and looked at her.

"Lost interest?" She tried to goat him.

"Far from it." He replied. "I just wanted to get a close look at you. And I must say, you're something."

"Are you trying to kill me or seduce me? Make up your damn mind!" Ashe just shot him down.

Caesar sighed before straightening his back. "I have no interest in women I can't control." He stated. "Though, this little cat-and-mouse between our groups have been fun. A shame I won't have time to toy with you anymore. I have bigger obligations now. And more to loose."

"Don't act like you've already won!" Ashe retorted, incredibly furious.

"But I have." Caesar apologetically replied. He then lifted his black, mechanical arm and waved the end, where the hand used to sit. The hand behind her.

"Oh shi-" Ashe didn't manage to finish before the hand hit her in the back of her head, knocking her unconcious.

* * *

Ashe slowly opened her eyes, and was greeted by the dirty floor of her base. She immediately tried to sit up, but her arms wouldn't move. After further struggling, she had to conclude that her arms were tied behind her back.

As she managed to at least sit up, she found the rest of the Deadlock gang either tied up next to her, or lying in a big pile, among other corpses. All the dead or wounded Crimson Legion operatives on the other hand, were being carefully carried out on stretchers.

"Motherfuckers." She mumbled under her breath, so that no one would hear.

A cheerful whistle drew Ashe's attention to her left, where Caesar stepped out from her personal room. The commander was walking with his cane under his arm and looking at various papers and jewels he'd snatched.

"A nice collection." He mumbled to himself. He then let his eyes wander out over the captured hostages, until they met Ashe's. "Ah, you're awake." He noted.

With a simple jump, he leapt over the railing and landed on his feet.

Ashe's spiteful eyes dug into him, but he strided forward regardless.

"Take a good, long look at this..." He urged while extending an arm. "This is soon going to be nothing but a memorial, the only evidence the Deadlock gang existed."

Ashe just started laughing. "What's so funny?" Caesar asked.

"You... you seriously think this is it?" Ashe managed to get out in between her laughs. "You think this is it, for us?"

"I can't see anyone who would want to remember you fondly." The italian retorted. "Or even care, for that matter."

"Jesse McCree." Ashe said. But Caesar didn't react with the surprise she'd expected. Nonetheless, she continued. "While he might say he hates everything about us, I know he thinks differently. He'll remember us, and though I doubt he'll restart us, we'll-" "Stop." Caesar ordered.

The italian knelt down in front of her, as he added "Don't waste your breath on a dead man."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ashe demanded to know. Now her delighted demeanor was gone, wiped away by his last comment.

Before Caesar had a chance to elaborate, someone interrupted him. "Boss!" An operative running towards him called out.

"What?!" The italian replied, annoyed.

"He's here." The operative said. "The... the commander. He's here. He just came out of nowhere. I-" "Perfect." Ceasar's comment caught the operative off-guard.

"Sir?" He asked.

Caesar just chuckled as he turned towards every subordinate present. "Continue as usual. I'll talk with him." He ordered. As everyone nodded, he turned back to looked down on Ashe. "Looks like you'll get to ask him yourself." He commented.

The sounds of the gate opening echoed into the base. And the sounds of footsteps quickly followed afterwards. They were heavy and almost metallic.

The footsteps continued to approach for a few silent seconds. Then the figure walked around the corner. Ashe widened her eyes slightly upon the sight of him.

He was tall and muscular and his entire body below the neck was covered by a layer of small, black scales of metal. Except for his greaves and gauntlets, which were the same shade of crimson as the cape flowing behind him. His white hair was also slightly laid back, but still quite messy at the edges. His eyes were also completely red and narrowed.

"The Demon..." Ashe mumbled to herself.

Apparently he heard that, as he stopped and turned his red eyes down on the captured Deadlock gang. Eventually, they landed on Ashe herself. "What?" She asked, sounding more annoyed than anything else.

Without saying a word, he raised his palm. A few sparks flew from it before a flame ignited, casting an intimidating shadow over his face. His eyes looked down on them with no emotion, just a cold stare. Then, with one quick swipe of his arm, he launched a line of fire towards them.

Ashe jumped to the side, barely avoiding the insanely hot flames. And as she got loose the retraints around her wrists, she charged at the commander, who'd exposed himself.

Alexander looked at her with a bored look. His hand then turned into a blade and he swiped.

Ashe landed sideways on the floor. She saw her lackeys screaming as the fire gradually scorched their flesh and incinerated their clothes. And then her headless body fell down in front of her.

Alexander looked on as the lackeys fell silent one by one, while he demanterialized the blade. He then turned towards a completely silent Caesar.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" The white-haired commander roared before punching him in the jaw, knocking him through the base and lodging him into the back wall. "WHY DID YOU EVER THINK DOING THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?!"

Caesar managed to push himself out of the wall. He landed on the ground and looked up at the rapidly approaching Alexander. "We're... so much more powerful now..." He tried to explain as blood ran out of his mouth. "So a little... reunioun should've been... in order..."

"JUST BECAUSE YOU OWN A GUN DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD SHOOT EVERY PERSON IN SIGHT!" Alexander roared back. He then lifted his arm and Caesar felt as he was lifted up from the ground by his armor.

"No one would care... if a little deadass crew took a beating..." Caesar continued.

"JESSE MCCREE WOULD CARE!" The brit argued back. When Caesar didn't say anything further, he sighed. "Jesus fucking christ. Listen, because of your little crusade here, Overwatch has redirected their efforts towards this. Now I'll not only need to redirect my plans and predictions about their movements, but we'll have to find some way to keep this under wraps."

Alexander suddenly pulled him closer and looked him straight in the eyes. "Because of your little 'game' here, Overwatch has just gained ammunition to justify their campaign against me. Now me and Scarlett are gunna have to find some way to spin this. Moreover, you've just set back Alfred by MONTHS!"

With his verbal bashing done, Alexander resumed the physcial. Guided by his hand, Caesar was thrown into the back wall again. Pulled out and smashed into it again.

Alexander lifted his arm again, but stopped when the sound of motors suddenly emanated from the outside.

"Hear that?" He said while letting Caesar fall out of the wall. "That's the sound of Overwatch. Which you brought here." With a scoff, the brit turned towards the operatives, who had just been watching in stunned silence. "Carry him out and leave as quickly as possible. I'll keep them busy. And when we get back..." He walked through the gathered crowd, over to the closed gate. "... we have some restructuring to do. Move!"

With no comments, the members of the Crimson Legion picked up their leader and wounded. And as they started carrying them out, Alexander opened the door and walked out.

Sure enough, when he looked up, Alexander saw the Overwatch dropship hovering in the air. A few heads were also sticking out from the side, looking down at him.

After quelling his desire to just attack the ship, Alexander aimed at the saloon in front of him. With just a single move, the entire wooden building was aflame. And with another swipe of his arm, the mechanic next to it was also violently ablaze.

"OVERWATCH!" He roared, standing amidst the fire and mounting rubble. "You wanted me. And here I am."

The dropship just kept hovering, as if the people inside it didn't know what to do. Eventually, the side-hatch fully opened and several figures jumped out and landed right in front of Alexander.

"What are you planning?" 76 hissed as he aimed his rifle at the brit's head. While all he wanted to do was to pull the trigger, he knew he needed to be more careful. Consider every move with the utmost care.

Alexander chuckled. To the left of the soldier stood Brigitte and Zarya and to his right stood McCree and Hanzo. Above, Fareeha hovered and tried to keep herself from opening a barrage. Behind, Angela and Lucio stood and axiously awaited what was to come.

"I'll admit, I didn't plan for our reunion to happen so soon after Eichenwalde. You still sore after that? Oh, and how is the monkey doing?" Alexander confidently spoke.

"What are you planning?" 76 ignored the questions, causing the white-haired to sigh.

"You still think I'd give it away like that. I'm not some sort of cliché villain, who spills their entire plan just because their opponent asks nicely. Though, it is nice to see you've finally realized that talking to my morality is futile." He noted as he looked out over all the aimed weapons. "That should speed this up quite a bit."

"Speed things up, it should indeed." 76 actually agreed. He then looked at the others in his team and they all nodded. "You've got nowhere to run. We have you cornered." He then tried to pressure.

"You say that, but..." Alexander replied. Yet before he could finish, two jets and three dropships wooshed by as they flew out over the canyon.

"Was that-" "The Crimson Legion? Yes." Alexander answered Brigitte's question.

"You distracted us to give them time to escape." Hanzo concluded.

"Yes yes, indeed." The brit said in an inpatient voice. "But getting back on track, I'd like to ask you something: What do you think of my new armor?"

"Huh?" 76 blurted out at the completely random question.

"I decided to cover the entire thing in smaller scales, rather than a few larger ones concentrated on just some spots. Should give me more mobility." He explained while stretching his arms.

"Why should we care?" 76 interrupted.

"What do you think I needed little Sombra for? What could only she do?" Alexander asked with a devilish grin. And as 76 lowered his rifle, he added "Something these scales also allow."

"OPEN FIRE." 76 roared upon realizing what he was talking about. Everyone immediately followed his order and opened fire.

Reacting quickly, Alexander placed his left arm in front of his face. A large metal shield quickly grew from it, providing cover for his entire body.

Explosions erupted as bullets, rockets and arrows continuesly hit the shield. After a few seconds, Alexander had to take a step back due to all the force.

"Time to go on the offensive." He mumbled through gritted teeth. He raised his right hand, clenched it into a fist and then slammed it into the pavement.

A shockwave went through the ground, knocking everyone except for Fareeha on their feet. But she couldn't do much, as a sudden lightning bolt from the shield struck her, frying her systems.

As Fareeha crashed behind him, 76 got on his knee and looked up. Alexander had extended his arms out and looked at them with glee.

"Until next time." He bid farewell as the scales on his armor started to move. They slowly rose while bolts of purple lighting erupted on top of them, until their silverish underside was fully exposed to the Overwatch team. Then, with a few flickers, he was gone.

"Goddammit." 76 mumbled.

* * *

 **A/N: Here we are. Merry christmas and a happy new year to you all! And I'll see you all at some point in 2019!**


	16. Connected

"GODDAMMIT!" 76 shouted as his fist hit some of the burnt wood, easily breaking it. "FUCK! SHIT! I HAD HIM IN MY SIGHT!"

A touch on his shoulder caused the soldier to turn around. Brigitte's worried features met him.

"I know you're frustrated. And I am too. But there's something else you have to concern yourself with right now." She said in her most sympathetic voice. When 76 was about to ask what she was talking about, she pointed behind her.

76 followed her directions. In the middle of the road, staring at the rubble with a stunned expression, stood Jesse McCree.

"Shit." The old soldier just said, mostly to himself. But with just a sigh, he nevertheless walked over to the nearly catatonic cowboy.

"Listen, Jesse..." He tried as he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I have to know." Jesse just said in a distant voice. When 76 followed his gaze, he saw the busted-open gate to the Deadlock hangout.

Without waiting for a response, the cowboy removed his former mentor's hand from his shoulder and ran at full speed towards the door. He ran with a singular purpose in his head, one thought occupying his mind: He needed to see what had happened.

He reached the front gate. As he peeked inside, he placed a hand on the gate to support him. Even through the hardened leather, he could feel the heat still emanating off the metal.

The cowboy looked inside. Something in what he saw caused all thoughts in his head to cease. Instead, his legs carried him through it.

A fire was slowly spreading from the corridor to the right, blackening the ceiling with smoke and casting dancing shadows against the back walls.

McCree stopped and placed a hand against the wall to his right. But something was wrong. The metal wall, it was too... slippery. The cowboy slowly removed his hand and looked at his palm. The brown leather was covered with the all too familiar crimson of fresh blood. Jesse turned his eyes towards the wall.

A massive stain of fresh blood covered the wall. Some of it was even still running down in small pellets.

Jesse felt his breath slip away from his control. It went faster and faster. But even then, he had to continue.

He took another step forward but stopped. There was a stench in the air. It wasn't just the smoke from the fire, there was something more in the air. Something more... foul.

Both McCree's breath and steps increased rapidly. He ran. He needed to see it himself, to know he was wrong. They couldn't have. They couldn't have...

Jesse turned the corner. He stood and shook for a few seconds, then fell to his knees. They did.

76 ran and the rest of the team followed him. It had taken a few seconds to realize what Jesse was doing. Now he was just hoping they weren't too late. They reached the gate but stopped.

A scream tore through the air. A scream from the heart with such sorrow it must feel like physical suffering. And they knew the voice.

76 ran in. McCree was kneeling further ahead, looking at something to the right with widened, panicked eyes while his hands shook like crazy.

"Ziegler!" The soldier called even before he had reached the cowboy.

"I know!" The doctor just replied.

76 finally reached McCree and saw what he saw. To their left was a line of burned, smoking corpses, but to their right was something too grotesque to describe. A large black pile on fire. The foul smell undeniably came from this: The smell of burned corpses. The pool of boiling blood underneath it just confirmed it.

Angela reached McCree and when she saw the display, she covered her mouth with her hands in shock.

"By the dragons..." Hanzo mumbled.

"Such... brutal efficiency..." Zarya said.

"I..." Lucio started. But the DJ silenced himself and just barely managed to turn around before his stomach emptied itself out over the floor.

"Angela..." 76 said. His voice was unnerving. "Take Jesse and the kid outside. Anyone who wants to follow, do so. I'll... try to figure out what happened."

"I'll join you." Hanzo said as he walked up next to the soldier.

"Me too." Fareeha added.

"I-" "Jesse?" Angela's question interrupted Zarya's offer to join and everyone looked at the cowboy. He was staring at something amidst all the flames. With distant movements and utterly locked eyes, he stood up and began walking towards it.

At first, everyone had thought it was another metal crate. But as they approached, the recognizable but scorched fur-coat became clear.

"B.O.B..." McCree said. The omnic turned around and look at who called his name. A streak of oil ran down his face from his eye.

With sloppy motions, McCree walked over and looked over the kneeling omnic's shoulder. There, he had a free view to Ashe's head and the body it had once been attached to.

As B.O.B. returning to his mourning pose, McCree clenched his fists. "Damn him..." He mumbled. "DAMN HIM ALL THE WAY TO HELL!"

The cowboy reached for his sixshooter. But a touch on his shoulder made him stop.

"I get why you're angry, I really do. But this isn't the time." 76 tried to argue.

"Then when is it?!" He replied.

"Soon." Angela joined him. "But you remaining here isn't healthy. Come, let's go out and just leave this place."

McCree looked at the pair, who were quickly joined by the rest of the team. Every eye looked at him, pleading. With a scoff, he pulled his hat down over his eyes.

"In a moment." He said. He then walked over to B.O.B.. "You'll help me, right old friend?" He asked in an unfamiliar yet familiar voice.

As B.O.B. watched, McCree bent down and carefully picked up Ashe's corpse. He then walked past everyone else, his hat completely covering his eyes. As he reached the gate, B.O.B. joined him, delicately holding Ashe's head. With a nod, the pair walked out.

Angela was about to follow, when 76 stopped her. "Let him grieve in his own way. I have trust in him."

Though hesitantly, the doctor nonetheless stopped and turned around and looked at the soldier. "Now." He said as he turned and looked at the carnage they'd walked into. "Let's figure out just what happened here."

* * *

A ship docked in the London harbor under the cover of the starless night sky. Several entrances opened and personnel all clad in dark armor began running in and out of the ship.

The Crimson Legion carried the material from the attack on the Deadlock gang out of the ship, like usual. But amidst the chaos, there was something unusual: A stretcher with their commander on. Or rather, former commander.

' _I'm taking over the Crimson Legion until you prove to me you can handle it._ '

The words echoed in Caesar's head. He gritted his teeth hard as he was carried into Warehouse 07.

' _If you want it back before then, just kill me. If you can._ '

Though Alexander's words infuriated him indesribably, Caesar knew he spoke the truth. He was too powerful.

"We're here, boss." The stretcher's carriers informed him. With a nod, they left and Caesar looked around the warehouse. The dropships, the jets, the weapons, the gear, everything. Those were his doing. Not that newcomer.

With a grunt, the italian placed the hands on the stretcher and tried to push himself up in a sitting position.

It hurt. It hurt like fucking hell, but he kept going. If he couldn't sit, what kind of child was he?

"I know you probably hate me right now, but don't kill yourself. Believe it or not, you're still worth more to me alive." The voice surprised Caesar, making him land hard on his back again. He looked behind him and saw Alexander, leaned up against some crates.

Caesar just gave him a mocking grunt.

"Honestly, are you a fucking kid? Get over it." The brit responded.

"I built this, not you. This group, this well-oiled machine is my achievement." Caesar argued back.

"I know. And that's why I'm taking control of it. So it doesn't go to waste." Alexander replied.

"Heh, you don't know how to properly lead and organize such a group." Caesar pointed out.

"True." Alexander admitted, earning him a confused look from the italian. "That's why I'll need you as my second-in-command. To take care of all the details I don't have time for."

Caesar looked at him. "What?" He blurted out.

With a sigh, Alexander covered his eyes with his hands. "Did you honestly think I demoted you to the level of the grunts? You aren't meaningless cannon-fodder, you have skills, even I can see that. So just think of this as me... keeping a closer eye on you."

"I don't need a Big Brother." The italian said. But his voice was much lower and not as full of annoyance as before.

"You haven't given me much to prove that statement." Alexander coldly stated.

Caesar didn't respond. With another sigh, Alexander turned around and put a hand over his right ear. "Niel. I think he's ready to be given it."

"I've been wondering..." Caesar started.

"About what?" The brit inquired, before closing the comm and turning towards him.

Caesar was quiet. It was a contemplative quiet, which was very unlike him. "Why do we need to be so careful? Can't we just barge down their door and kill everyone?" He asked.

"If you'd spoken in your usual tone, I'd have taken that as a stroke of stupidity and hit you." Alexander stated. But the silent look Caesar gave him convinced him otherwise. With a sigh, he walked back to the crates and leaned up against them.

"You've never taken on an opponent like Overwatch." Alexander explained. "They aren't just cops you can kill or run away from, or a mafia you can systematically dismantle. They're a symbol, an idea. And killing something which represents an idea doesn't die with the person. It can be reborn, with different people granted, but they'll continue to work as if they were the same. So before that..." He looked at the italian in anticipation.

"You have the crush the idea they stand for with the common people." Caesar answered.

Alexander chuckled as he clapped his hands together. "Correct." He eventually said while placing a hand on the shoulder. "Though I prefer to say you have to 'burn' the idea. But nevermind that. Looks like the good dr. Caulfield's here with something for you."

Uncertain what he meant, Caesar turned his head towards the stairs which lead to the scientist's lab. And sure enough, there he was, walking down. Although the only noticable thing Caesar could see him carry was a metallic briefcase.

The pair waited a few seconds, as the scientist made his way through the hectic Crimson Legion. But he eventually made it.

"Here." He bluntly stated while extending the briefcase towards Caesar.

"What is this?" The second-in-command of the Crimson Legion asked as he nonetheless took it.

Alexander squeezed the hand he still had on Caesar's shoulder. "Remember what I said, about you becoming my second-in-command? Well, that isn't just for back here. It's also for action in the field. And you need something fitting for that."

"Oh speaking of that." Caesar suddenly interjected as he looked up at Alexander. "I would like some new armor. The previous one's not... exactly to my taste."

Alexander chuckled. "Then this should be right up your alley." He then looked at the silent doctor and nodded.

Neil nodded back. He then bent down towards the briefcase and pressed a few buttons on the briefcase. With a metallic click, it sprung open, revealing a dark grey goop.

"What exactly is this?" Caesar asked as he looked closer at the weird and, admittedly dissapointing, substance.

"From now on, with you being in my second in the command, the Crimson Legion doesn't move without my direct orders. That includes you." Alexander began explaining something completely unrelated. And with a wave of his hand, the substance in the briefcase reacted. It shook for a few seconds, before beginning to collect in two rising, hollow pillars.

"Luckily..." The brit continued while his devilish glance drifted over to Caesar. "You will have such an opportunity shortly. And more than just an opportunity for stretching your legs, it will be an opportunity for something else."

As the substance continued to form into a cohesive, much more exciting, form, Alexander leaned in close and whispered in the italian's ear: "An opportunity to show that you are worthy of my trust as well as this doomsdays-device."

* * *

" _I proceeded with the medical questions as ordered._ " Catherine's voice echoed in Winston's lab. " _But he would usually only answer in one or two words, making a detailed report difficult._ "

The gorilla, still covered in bandages, listened carefully. " _When that was done, I... took a liberty and asked a bit of a personal question. I asked whether he regretted the decision. But to my surprise, he just sighed. He then turned and looked at me with his green eyes. He said, 'even if I wanted to end this, could I?' I've gotta admit, he has a point there. If he stopped the treatment now, his body wouldn't be able to handle the nanomachines. But I don't think that's what he meant..._ "

A sigh went through the lab. " _But nevertheless, he stood up and walked over to the glass. There, he said, 'but I don't want it to end. I want to finish this. For my sake as well as someone else's.' I'll admit, I got a bit curious here. I asked who he was talking about. He seemed to think about whether to respond or not, but eventually he relented. He answered he did it for his sister and-_ "

Winston paused the recording. He then reversed it a few seconds and started it again.

"- _he did it for his sister_ -"

Winston was quiet. "A sister..." He mumbled under his breath. "But, there was nothing like that in the British Population Register." He reversed it again.

"- _his sister_ -"

No, there was no doubt. She had said he had a sister. Which meant he'd said he had a sister. And in that case...

"Hahaha, YES!" The gorilla cheered.

"What is it, Winston?" Athena asked in her mechanical voice.

Winston turned towards her with a smile she hadn't seen in a long time. "This may just be it Athena!" He said, his voice as cheerful as his expression. "This may just be the way we bring him down!"

"I see." The AI just replied. But for the first time in several weeks, that didn't bother Winston one bit.

"Winston?" Ana's sudden voice caused the gorilla to turn towards the entrance.

"Ah, Ana, perfect time!" He exclaimed. "Come come, I want, no need, to show you something."

"Well, it must be quite something if it was able to put that spark back in your eyes." Ana commented with a smile as she walked closer.

Without saying anything, the ecstatic Winston reversed the recording and played it one more time.

" _He answered he did it for his sister and-_ "

"See?" Winston asked.

"I see." Ana just said. "Yes, this could be the way to get to him. If we could somehow convince her, we might be able to finally end his massacre."

"You don't sound as excited as I thought you would." Winston admitted.

"There's just something that bothers me..." The egyptian sniper admitted. "The BPR, it didn't show him as having any siblings. But when we looked into it, there were come oddities we didn't pay too much attention too before."

"What oddities?" Winston curiously inquired.

"Some code that seemingly lead nowhere, almost like remains. Like how when you cut a rope, there's always the loose bits at the end." Ana explained in a voice that indicated she was thinking about something herself. "And since he was allied to Talon, they likely did it for him."

"Then..." Winston started as he started seeing where she was going.

"Yes, we could ask them if it was somehow possible to reverse this process. Then we might be able to figure out who this mystery sibling is. Although... I have a feeling we might already have met her." Ana explained.

"What? Where?" Winston asked.

"Remember when we first met him at the anniversary? When McCree shot him and for a moment, we thought he was dead? There was a girl who ran up to him there..." Ana let out her thoughts.

"Of course!" Winston exclaimed as he cursed himself for not seeing it before. "Then..."

"I'll get on it." Ana immediately responded. "You still need to heal. I'll ask Ogundimu if he can reverse the process. And I'll have someone look over the recordings from the anniversary. Then we should be able to find her soon."

Winston couldn't help but let out a roar of joy. For so long, they'd been fumbling in the dark for any lead to bring this monster known as Alexander down. And now, they might just have it!

"Do you want me to inform anyone else about this?" Ana interrupted his early victory. "Outside of Overwatch, I mean."

Winston thought about it. So far, they'd been keeping this mostly to themselves. Involving others could've endangered them. But Alexander had shown that he didn't care in the least whether someone was involved or not. He neeeded to be stopped. As soon as possible!

"Yes." Winston finally answered. "Inform the London police as well as the UN. She might've fled to another country."

"So you want to start an international manhunt?" Ana asked with a smirk.

"If I can avoid an international manslaughter, then yes." The gorilla confidently replied.

Ana chuckled to herself. "Understood. I will start immediately."

"Please do." Winston asked. With a smirk, Ana nodded and walked towards the exit.

With a slam, the door opened and Hanzo stormed inside.

"Hanzo..." Ana mumbled but he ignored her and stormed past her. He was wearing his old winter-coat and had a piece of crumbled paper in his hand.

"What can I do for you?" Winston patiently asked despite his friend's clearly agitated state.

"I'll be gone for some time." The archer explained. "It's a personal matter, so please don't follow or try to retrace my steps."

Winston just looked at him in silence over the blunt statement. "E-Excuse me?" He eventually managed to blurt out.

"You heard me." Hanzo said. He then suddenly bowed forward. "Please."

Winston rubbed his neck. "I'll admit, this isn't the best time..."

"This cannot wait." Hanzo replied without straightening his back.

The gorilla sighed. "Even if I forbid it, I still couldn't stop you. Very well, you can go. But do know that we can always help if it comes down to it."

"I have never doubted that." The archer replied with a small smile. He then raised his head and walked out.

Winston sighed.

"I wonder what happened..." Ana admitted.

"I swear, he keeps too many secrets to himself. That isn't good, especially now." The gorilla exclaimed.

"Though that just may be who he is." The sniper replied with a smirk.

"You're probably right." Winston admitted. He was feeling a bit better now. "Shall we get on with what we discussed, then?"

While they talked, Hanzo walked through the white corridors of the base with great haste. He walked towards the exit with determination. In his hand, he held a paper with kanji on it.

* * *

 _Hanzo._

 _You have no idea how hard it is to send a physical letter in these modern times. And I'll admit, the digital replacements just can't convey the same emotions and history as a piece of paper with visible mistakes and scribbles on it. Makes you think about the good old days, doesn't it? The days when we could still send letters like these easily. The days when the Shimada Syndicate was still something to be feared. Or to even think about._  
 _I mean, today it's just pathetic. A history of an organization filled with mistakes and just a few strokes of luck here and there. And the fact they never realized just makes it all worse._  
 _Oh, but wait. The Shimadas weren't just a bunch of goons and gangsters. They were also a family. And wouldn't it be natural that those shortcomings would also apply to that family? After all, they couldn't even keep a pair of rowdy twins in check. Really says a lot._  
 _But getting back on track, that was actually what I so wished to discuss with you. The Syndicate. And yet, communicating all that on letters would be a hazzle. So I have a proposition: Come down here in a few weeks, and I'll let you in on something I've been preparing, just for you._  
 _And I assume I don't need to tell you where 'here' is, now do I?_

 _I already look forward to our first meeting in person. It's going to be a fun experience._

 _Yours truly._  
 _Kuroikami Hazama_


	17. Archangel

**A/N: I have two things to say here. Firstly, this chapter is quite a bit shoter than usual. Part of the reason behind that is that, as you already know, I don't have too much time to write. But the more pressing reason is just that it fits the chapter better. The second thing is that I have changed the newcomer's name from 'Arashiro Hazama' to 'Kuroikami Hazama', while I still had the chance. If you re-read the last chapter, you'll see that. Now, with that out of the way, let's continue.**

* * *

Jesse McCree stood with closed eyes and his hat on his chest in front of a make-shift grave. A flimsy wooden cross was forced into the ground behind a recently moved pile of dirt. On the cross, a piece of paper swayed in the dry wind.

Elizabeth Caledonia Ashe  
Born: 7-5-2042  
Death: 16-8-2081  
An inspiring leader and an irreplacable friend  
Rest in peace

Next to the mourning cowboy stood B.O.B., who overlooked the large canyon behind the grave.

A calm yet merciless dry wind blew over the pair from the canyon's abyss. It had always been one of her favorite spots, both McCree and B.O.B. knew that. And so, they thought this was the best place for her to rest forever.

The omnic turned his head to the cowboy, who looked back. Silent as usual, B.O.B. raised an open hand before clenching it violently, making a few of his joints squeek.

"I get the feeling, friend." McCree agreed with a solemn voice. "Want to help us doing it?"

The omnic nodded enthusiastically, earning a very small chuckle from the cowboy. "You haven't changed one bit." He noted before placing his har back on his head. He then reached into his pockets and threw something.

B.O.B. caught it. When he looked in his hand, he saw a small white box with a blinking blue light.

"That's a locator." McCree explained. "Keep that on you, and they'll come pick you up. Just wait here." Jesse suddenly reached forward and pressed the box, changing the light from blue to green.

"Now they're on their way." He said before turning around and began walking away. But when he stopped when a metal hand grapped his shoulder. When he turned around, he was met the curious look of the omnic.

"I'm going to let her parents know." He explained. B.O.B. removed his hand and hung his head while McCree turned around again. He quickly reached his hover-bike, and as he saddled up, he noted: "They deserve to know. Just as much as we do."

With one last look at B.O.B., who waved goodbye, McCree kicked the bike into gear. After a few loud sounds, it lifted off the ground and he speeded away.

* * *

McCree closed the comm-link. He had explained to everyone else why they'd find B.O.B. at his locator's spot and what he was doing now. But he had refused any and all backup. This was something he had to do alone.

The wind pulled in the cowboy's clothes and hat, but he kept speeding over the empty plains. Occationally he had to take a turn, but for the most part it was just him, the constant wind, the road straight ahead and his thoughts. He hated that.

As the dusty ground flew by below him, a thought appeared in his head. How was he going to break the news to them? Or just, how are you supposed to tell anyone that their daughter is dead?

A finger went over the brake. But Jesse swiftly pulled it back again.

He had to do this. Both for them, but also for his own sake. No matter how painful for everyone involved, it had to be done.

With renewed determination, the cowboy revved up the bike. With a short boost, he continued forward.

As he kept riding, McCree noticed that the sun was setting behind him, casting eerily long shadows along the asphalt below him. When he turned his gaze upwards again, a structure began to appear on the horizon. With a deep breath, he concluded the obvious. He was almost there.

Within a few minutes, McCree had reached the residence, which laid on the outskirts of a small town. A lush garden extended behind it, well-kept as usual.

"Those Caledonias sure like to play it safe with their money." The cowboy noted as he jumped off his hover-bike and turned it off. As he turned towards the large building, he noticed that all the lights were off, except fr one room. One incredibly faint sound also came from there.

Just when McCree had deduced that it was a voice, the light turned off and the voice eventually also dissapated.

"Must've gone to bed. A bit early..." He continued to mumble to himself as he turned around and looked at the top of the crimson sun.

Readying himself with a sigh, Jesse slowly trotted along the walls, around the corner and up to the front porch. There he stood for a few seconds. He still didn't know exactly what to say. But it was now or never. If he turned around, he couldn't make himself come back, that much he knew.

McCree reached for the bronze handle with his gloved hand.

His nose twitched.

The cowboy's arm froze. That smell, that stench. He moved closer to the door and smelled again. Sure enough, it was coming from in there. Not his clothes. His eyes widened.

With one swift motion, he drew his Peacekeeper and kicked the door. As he thought, it opened with no resistance. What little sunlight remained was let in, immediately illuminating two figures.

McCree's breath rapidly increased. One figure was the headless body of an omnic butler, carved in half from the neck down. And the next to it, the crackling sounds and familiar smell arose from the burned corpse of a maid.

With one hand holding onto the door for support, McCree stepped inside. In the shadows to his left, out of the evening sun's reach, another burning corpse cast a small light around, like some sort of twisted bonfire.

Jesse quickly slapped himself. This wasn't the time to become catatonic.

Moving forward, he saw the stairs. The steps themselves were untouched, but some of the railings were covered with soot. Nevertheless, he moved up, only to come face-to-face with an omnic face.

After recovering from the shock, McCree could clearly see what it was. The head of the omnic butler, mounted on the wall with some sort of metal spike sticking out of the forehead.

"Who...?" McCree mumbled as he continued up the stairs. This didn't make any sense. Who would so this? Alexander had left in a hurry, Talon had nothing to do here, and no rival gang knew of Ashe's famliy. So who?

The cowboy was interrupted in the middle of his thoughts by the sound of a small splash. When he looked down, he saw his boot standing in the middle of a red pool. And as he observed, a smaller splash came from his hat. He closed his eyes, wishing he was wrong.

He looked up and wasn't. The chef was impaled through the eyes, mouth, hands and feet by more metal spikes above him. His final expression was that of fear and pain, but also surprise.

"Could this have been unplanned?" McCree mumbled.

A squak close by caused the cowboy to lift his eyes. The door furthest down, clearly broken, was swinging loosely.

In another swift motion, Jesse rolled over next to the door. But it was too closed to allow him to see anything useful. So with a slow and quiet reload of his Peacekeeper, the cowboy readied himself. He then opened the door and stepped in with his gun aimed. But the sight that met him caused him to pause.

Most of the room looked like normal, except for a shattered mirror and the bed in the middle. Whatever was on it was blocked by the sheets, but it was what was sitting on the bedside that caused the pause. With its kneels up under the chest, the creature's feet balanced on the wooden edge with its back to McCree. The entirity of its body was covered by small metal plates, which revealed something akin to a suit of entagled, black wires underneath.

Moreover, on the creature's back were two long, thin metallic rods, extending out like a pair of featherless wings. They were covered in spikes, although a few seemed to be missing.

Unfortunately, McCree's staring had given it time to realize it wasn't alone. With a small clicking sound, it turned around. It's face reminded the cowboy of the old gasmasks from the first world war. Except this one had the same metallic plates covering wires underneath. And its two, circular eyes stared at him intensily, both emitting a bright, red light.

Regaining his composure, McCree aimed at it. But as he did, it stood up and turned its entire body towards him. And as it did, it starting making the same clicking sounds again. They kept going, getting faster and faster, until it finally let out a machine-like, yet animalistic roar.

As the roar subsided, the creature looked at McCree.

The cowboy blinked.

The creature was gone.

Still cautious, even though he for some reason knew there was no need, he walked into the bedroom. He looked to his right, only to be met by the shattered mirror's fractured reflections of himself. Although a few pieces were missing. With just two quick steps, he made it over to the bed.

Even in the sun's weak light, he could see the red stains seeping through the sheets.

Still cautiously aiming his gun, McCree reached for the sheets. He took a firm hold and then swiftly pulled them away.

The cowboy lowered his gun. Both Mr. and Ms. Caledonia were wearing their everyday clothes. Except Mr. Caledonia's white shirt was more red from the blood of his open throat. Ms. Caledonia, on the other hand, had the missing mirror-shards sticking out of her eye-sockets.

Both were lying next to each other in a macabrely peaceful way.

McCree held back the urges to both vomit and punch something, and instead covered their bodies with the sheets.

Holstering his gun, the cowboy looked around. The creature had left a long time ago. If it had even been here...

Slapping himself again, McCree turned to the crimson sunset for a few seconds. He then pulled down his hat and turned around. And as he walked out, he pulled out his phone.


	18. Preparatory

"So you've made contact? Gotta admit, it was a bit earlier than I expected. But that won't be a problem at all." Alexander spoke into his earpiece. "What? How to best... I will leave that up to you. I get the feeling that you're... plenty creative in that area. Alright."

Without any sort of normal farewell, the Brit closed the line and turned around. His eyes immediately landed on his sister, standing next to the central table and eagerly awaiting him.

"Now then..." He calmly began while approaching her. "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to ask you that." Nat replied as her eyes fell to the floor.

With a single finger, her brother lifted her head and met her eyes. "Come on now, isn't this your big day?"

"Still..." She tried, but that only made him chuckle.

"You're so selfless, Nat." He commented. "It's okay to be selfish every now and again. Especially when it's something you've worked so hard for. I mean, these past months have just flown by, haven't they?"

"While you've been forced to hide." Nat added in a slightly angry voice. But the anger wasn't directed at her brother, it was more nebulous.

"To keep you safe." Alexander corrected. "And this dress rehearsal is proof that I've done that perfectly. So just enjoy it. You deserve it."

"Okay." Nat just said. Then, in one swift move, she jumped up, wrapped her arms around Alexander's neck and planted a kiss on his lips. Though at first taken a bit aback, he still reciprocated it happily with an arm around her.

They stood like that for a few seconds.

"Ahem!" The voice caused Nat to jump away and turn around, whereas her brother merely looked up with a mildly annoyed expression. In the doorway, Caesar stood with a briefcase in his hand, leaned up against the wall. He looked at them over the top of his sunglasses.

"Oh, Mr. Giordani." Nat remarked. Though her words were neutral, Alexander noticed a hint of intense spite underneath them.

Choosing not to address it here and now, he looked at his second-in-command. "You're back. Well, what do you think of the upgrade?"

"Fits like a glove." The Italian answered as he threw the briefcase to Alexander, who caught it with his cape. "Damn useful too."

"And the mission?" Alexander continued while placing the briefcase on the table. Still using his cape.

"A success." He answered. Reaching into his pockets, he threw another thing over onto the table next to the briefcase. Upon seeing it, Nat gasped and her brother, surprised, instinctively covered her with his cape. And as she rested her head on his chest, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Though he was silent, the glare his crimson eyes sent Caesar sent an intense chill down the Italian's spine. He also decided to remain quiet.

"Nat..." Alexander slowly started. He looked down on her with sincere sympathy. "Could you please wait for me outside. Then we leave together, okay?"

With a mix of shaking and nodding, Nat agreed.

"Good." Alexander replied. He then carefully guided her over to the exit. Once she was outside, her brother turned towards Caesar.

"You haven't-" The Italian started, but he was quickly silenced when Alexander dashed over to him, grabbed his blonde hair and lifted his face up to meet his.

"I don't care for much, but if something, anything, happens to her, then I will rain hell on the one responsible. There will be no mercy. I don't want her hurt, nor do I want her head corrupted by violence or wrong ideas." He hissed.

Caesar briefly considered pointing out that he had already corrupted her thoroughly. But he decided against it, for the sake of his own well-being.

"Understood?" Alexander asked what wasn't really a question.

"Of course." Caesar simply answered.

With a quiet "Good", Alexander let him go and turned around. And as his subordinate tried to undo the damage to his hair, he moved over and picked up the eyeball Caesar had thrown onto the table.

"Emerald..." He mumbled. In one swift move, he squashed the eyeball with a disgusting noise.

"With Sombra taken care of and this matter now behind us..." Alexander started while looking over his shoulder at Caesar. "Their good archer should also be gone for some time. This is the perfect time to move forward with our original plan. Tell our lackeys to be ready the day after tomorrow."

Caesar sighed. "I assume you've found us a target?"

"Of course." His boss replied before lifting his hand and projecting an image onto the wall. The image of a busy shopping mall. "The Rising Sun Mall. It opened about two years ago, and its construction provided some good cover while I lived in the dumps. Looks like it'll be of use to me again."

"And you what you want us to is... what exactly?" Caesar continued inquiring.

"What we agreed upon." His answer sounded as the image disappeared. "Cause a little ruckus and spread some good old-fashioned fear."

"With red walls?" The Italian added.

"That is what's most effective." Alexander apologetically answered.

"Listen, I just need to know something." Caesar suddenly admitted and Alexander looked at him curiously. "Are you a sadist?"

"A sadist?" The Brit repeated as if the concept had never occurred to him. "Oh, no no no. Listen, a sadist takes pleasure, often of a sexual kind, from hurting just anyone. Despite what it might seem, I don't. The only pain I take pleasure from, is the one suffered by Overwatch and those who hide them."

"But you kill and mutilate just about anyone though." Caesar pointed out.

"That's because it's effective." Alexander coldly replied.

"Eh?" The Italian blurted out. "Effective... at what exactly?"

"Sending a message, permanently removing an opponent, causing some psychological damage, lowering morals, causing fear... A lot of things. Depends on what I need." Alexander listed uncomfortably innocently.

"I... see..." The Italian just replied, apparently stunned for a bit.

With a smile, Alexander grabbed a gray box off the table, turned around and walked past him. But just before he reached the door, he stopped. "If you want to see what a real sadist is like, then I suggest you wait. You won't be disappointed."

Caesar immediately spun around, but he only saw the closing door.

On the other side, Nat walked up to her brother nervously. "Was that..." She asked in a low voice. Alexander knew immediately what she was talking about.

"I'm afraid it was." He admitted as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "But you don't ever have to worry about that happening to you."

Nat looked up at him. "Did... did they... deserve it?"

Her brother looked down on her.

"Yes."

"I knew you wouldn't do anything unjust!" Nat let out in a happy and relieved voice as she hugged him tightly.

"Of course." He just replied. "Now, let's not let this ruin the evening."

With renewed confidence and energy, Nat followed her brother down the stairs and out of the hangar.

* * *

Angela sat down. Now all of the formalities were over and they could finally get to what they had all been anticipating. Unfortunately, Winston delayed that.

"And what about our patient?" The gorilla inquired.

"She's doing surprisingly fine, all things considered. She has an incredibly strong will." The Swiss doctor answered.

"That's what we'll all need in this." 76 added in a grim voice.

"Yes." Winston just said, not wanting to go any further with that. "Now, Ana, I believe you had something as well?"

"Indeed." The Egyptian sniper replied. Everyone got visibly more excited as she tapped a few times on the table and an image appeared on the large screen on the wall. The image was a paused security-recording from the anniversary. It showed everyone looking at the recently-shot Alexander, who was still playing dead. But what everyone was interested in was the figure kneeling next to him.

"As you know..." Ana started while zooming in on the figure. Unfortunately, she had her back turned to the camera. "We just found out that Alexander has a little sister. And if I had to hazard a guess, I would say that this is her."

"I believe everyone here already figured as much." 76 commented, earning him a gaze from Ana's one eye. But it was more than enough to silence him.

"Yes, that's correct." She then agreed with him. "But me, Brigitte and Lucio here took a longer look at it. And from more angles. And though I hate to say it, I must admit that we simply couldn't get a good look at her face. That is, if it weren't for you Lena."

"Huh?" The Brit blurted out upon the unexpected mention of her name.

"You tried to comfort her." Ana explained. "But it didn't exactly have then intended result. Just take a look."

Ana tapped the table a few more times and the recording switched to another camera, which overlooked the scene from behind. Then it played.

* * *

 _Lena stood up and slowly approached the crying girl._

 _"Nat was it?" The Brit carefully tried while approaching. "Listen, I'm terribly-" "Don't come near us." The girl apparently named Nat hissed without looking up at her._

 _"What?" Lena asked in surprise._

 _Nat finally raised her head. With her red, teary eyes, she looked up at Lena with unexpected and incredible resentment._

 _"All you've ever done is cause pain and suffering to us." Nat said through her sobs. Her tone was as hostile as her glare. "So, DON'T COME NEAR US!"_

 _Lena not only stopped but took a few steps back._

* * *

Ana paused the recording again. Everyone observed the still screen in silence for a few seconds, before the Egyptian sniper broke it.

"While the quality of the recording isn't what I'd like it to be, this still gives us a decent look at her face." She said. "And moreover, Lena, your comment jogged something in my, if not all of our, memories. He called her Nat."

"And even though Nat is just a nickname, it's still a lot more than what we had before." Zarya said with a victorious expression across her face.

"Indeed." Ana agreed. "It could be a shortened version of anything from Natasha to Natalie. But it still gives us a clue. We now know exactly what we need to look for."

"A girl named something with 'Nat', with long, black hair and what appears to be blue eyes. Correct?" 76 summarized quite skillfully.

"More than anything, it should help limit our search." Winston replied.

"Got it." The soldier said. "Was that everything?" He then asked with his masked eyes turned towards Ana.

"You seem to be in a hurry." She noted. But she did sit back down.

"I just have something I want to share for once." 76 explained. A lot of curious eyes were suddenly pointed at him as he plugged something into the table.

"Found something while searching the Deadlock base." He explained. A few taps on the table and a new image came to life. Still a recording, this one showed the Deadlock base. It looked like it was just after the battle, as there was still Crimson Legion members running about. In the center stood a familiar, white-haired figure, but next to him were someone they didn't recognize. Someone blonde.

"I took the liberty of skipping the part with Ashe." 76 added before he played the recording.

* * *

 _Alexander looked on as the lackeys fell silent one by one, while he dematerialized the blade. He then turned towards a completely silent Caesar._

 _"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" The white-haired commander roared before punching him in the jaw, knocking him through the base and lodging him into the back wall. "WHY DID YOU EVER THINK DOING THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?!"_

 _Caesar managed to push himself out of the wall. He landed on the ground and looked up at the rapidly approaching Alexander. "We're... so much more powerful now..." He tried to explain as blood ran out of his mouth. "So a little... reunion should've been... in order..."_

 _"JUST BECAUSE YOU OWN A GUN DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD SHOOT EVERY PERSON IN SIGHT!" Alexander roared back. He then lifted his arm and Caesar felt as he was lifted up from the ground by his armor._

 _"No one would care... if a little deadass crew took a beating..." Caesar continued._

 _"JESSE MCCREE WOULD CARE!" The Brit argued back. When Caesar didn't say anything further, he sighed. "Jesus fucking christ. Listen, because of your little crusade here, Overwatch has redirected their efforts towards this. Now I'll not only need to redirect my plans and predictions about their movements, but we'll have to find some way to keep this under wraps."_

 _Alexander suddenly pulled him closer and looked him straight in the eyes. "Because of your little 'game' here, Overwatch has just gained ammunition to justify their campaign against me. Now me and Scarlett are gonna have to find some way to spin this. Moreover, you've just set back Alfred by MONTHS!"_

 _With his verbal bashing done, Alexander resumed the physical. Guided by his hand, Caesar was thrown into the back wall again. Pulled out and smashed into it again._

 _Alexander lifted his arm again, but stopped when the sound of motors suddenly emanated from the outside._

* * *

"And that's where we enter the picture." 76 concluded.

There was complete silence around the table. Absolutely no one knew what to say. In just a couple of seconds, they had gotten so much information on Alexander and his accomplices, but also how he seemed to operate. It was like they'd expected: A reign of terror.

"Alfred and Scarlett." 76 broke the silence. "Two names for two additional people we'll need to search for, it would seem."

"I see." Brigitte agreed.

"But we don't know who they are, how they're helping him. They could be anything from black-market dealers to corrupt bank-managers." Ana pointed out. "Although he did mention 'some way to spin this', when talking about this Scarlett, so she likely deals with information in some way. But apart from that, there's not much. No area of operation, no point of origin, their names don't even tell us whether they're omnic or human either."

"Yeah..." 76 reluctantly agreed. With a heavy sigh, he fell back into his chair. All the air and energy seemed to leave him in just a few moments. It was quite the melancholic sight.

"Caesar Giordani..." A voice echoed in the room. Everyone turned to its origin: Genji.

"Something on ya mind?" Lena asked.

"The blonde in the video..." Genji slowly started, as if he was explaining it to himself as well. "He seems to be the gang-leader. Moreover, he mentioned that this attack was a 'reunion', meaning there's some history between those gangs. And from the video, I can faintly see a dark red symbol on many of the members. If I remember correctly, there's only one who that description fits: Caesar Giordani, the leader of the Crimson Legion."

"Former leader, it would seem." Zarya added.

"Wait, Giordani. Genji, are you saying...?" McCree slowly let out, even though he seemed he didn't wish to.

"Yeah, I hate it just as much as you do, but there's no way around it." The cyborg ninja replied. "He's his son. That's likely why he joined in the first place."

"Son of a bitch..." The cowboy said while slumping down in his chair.

"You're talking about Venice, right?" 76 suddenly joined the conversation. Genji just answered with a faint nod.

A series of grim looks began appearing around the table. The atmosphere followed quickly after, becoming heavier and gloomy.

"But, it's still something." Brigitte tried to liven the mood around the table.

"Yes, it is!" Reinhardt joined her.

"Scarlett, Alfred, Caesar and this Nat." Ana summarized. "Those are the accomplices we know off. Now that we have names, we can begin searching immediately."

"Then what are we waiting for?" 76 asked while standing up. His energy seemed to have returned in full force.

"One thing." Winston suddenly interjected. Everyone turned to him. "These people, we aren't searching for them to get rid of them. We should first try and see if they can be reasoned with, turned. I'll admit, it might be easier with some than others, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. Only use violence as a last. Resort... Dismissed."

Every head around the table nodded with renewed determination. Then, one by one, they began to rise and leave.

"Oh, Genji, could you please stay? I'd like to talk with you about something." Winston suddenly requested.

"Sure." The cyborg ninja said, stopping and turning around to face him. Winston was about to start when a sudden voice shouted something from the doors.

"I'm going to head back to London. Emily needs to know some of this as well." Lena informed with just her head and upper body sticking out from the door. With a simple nod from the gorilla, she briefly flashed a bright smile before dashing off.

"Can't fault her." Winston mumbled, mostly to himself.

"No." Genji merely agreed before returning to the reason he'd stayed. "So, what was it?"

"Oh, right." Winston exclaimed as if he'd forgotten. "Of course you know that your brother left, but would you happen to know why? He... wasn't too open about it."

"Can't fault him." The cyborg ninja replied with a smile under his mask. But after a short chuckle, he answered seriously. "He got a letter a few days ago..." He started with crossed arms. "I mostly saw it by accident, but I saw it nonetheless. When I asked what it was about, he just said it was an acquaintance. That in and of itself wasn't too weird. But just before he left yesterday, he asked if I'd heard the name 'Kuroikami'."

"Kuroikami..." Winston mumbled to himself while Genji continued.

"I said I hadn't, I'm pretty sure I'd remember such an... unusual name. And then he just left." Once he was done, the brother looked up at Winston. "It was something in that letter, I'm sure of it. But what it was, I have no idea."

"That is the logical conclusion." Winston agreed. "Kuroikami... doesn't that mean 'god of blackness' or something?"

"Just 'black god'." Genji corrected. "That's what's so weird about that name. It's not something I can imagine anyone willingly carrying with dignity and pride."

"But apart from the letter and its likely sender, there isn't anything else?" The gorilla tried. A disheartened shake of Genji's head gave him all the answer he needed. "Well, he did ask to not be followed. So for now, can you just... I don't know, keep an eye on anything that might be related to his activities?

"I get what you mean." Genji reassured.

"Good." Winston admitted with a small sigh. With a mystery cleared and a whole lot more created, the pair walked out the door.

* * *

"Alright, I'll meet you back there once it's done." Alexander assured. And with a final smile, his sister disappeared behind the door the read 'Backstage'.

After looking at the wooden door for a few seconds, Alexander ran a hand through his hair before turning around. With new, blonde hair, he walked over to the theater's entrance. Since it was just a dress rehearsal, there wasn't any big commotion. Just a few parked cars.

With his armor and cape turned into a formal suit and shoulder-cape, he walked in through the front gate.

Inside, there were just a few people scattered around here and there. After scanning the scene and concluding that he hadn't arrived yet, the Brit walked through the pair of large, blue doors.

After finding his seat, Alexander sat down and looked around. Only about three other groups of people had entered.

Having nothing to do at the moment, the Brit reached into his pockets and pulled out the gray box. Opening it, he was met by three objects: Two had the appearance of an ordinary USB-connector and the third looked like a metal cylinder with glass in one end.

The sounds of the doors opening brought the Brit out of his examination. When he looked up, he saw a familiar omnic enter.

With a subtle wave, he caught Alfred's eye and the UN politician quickly made his way over to him.

"Mr. Caeden." The omnic formally greeted as he sat down.

"Mr. Eagle." Alexander likewise greeted.

With a heavy sigh, the omnic straightened his suit. "You said to expect something if I'm correct." He then said without taking his eyes off the curtains.

Smiling, Alexander opened the gray box again and subtly handed the omnic the USB's.

"The doctor's latest creation I take it?" Alfred asked while examining the object closely. Alexander answered with just a nod.

"And it is...?" The politician continued.

"Plug it into any terminal and you'll be treated to a live, front-row seat to our plan. It'll automatically be recorded too, of course. That should make the second phase much easier for both you and Scarlett." He explained.

"Speaking of Ms. Moineau, why didn't you just ask her to come here as well?" Alfred inquired while stuffing the two objects into his pockets.

"A UN politician meeting a friend at a theater isn't noteworthy." Alexander started. "But him also meeting with the head of a tabloid news-station could start some rumors of corruption."

"Not that they would be completely wrong." Alfred commented.

"No, but it would still compromise your credibility, and by extension the entire plan." The Brit added.

"True." The omnic just agreed without any more questions. His eyes then wandered over to the still-open gray box. "And that is what'll capture it?" He asked while pointing at the cylinder.

"Indeed." Alexander confirmed, even though he quickly began packing it away again. "Me and Caulfield ran some tests on my ability to manipulate other things. As it turns out, I'm able to control magnetism."

"If I remember correctly, there was a comic book about someone like that before the Crisis." The omnic noted.

"Perhaps." Alexander just dismissed it. "But what we also figured out, was that I wasn't able to control information wirelessly. Electromagnetic waves and such. Say I were to... send a live feed of my plans unfolding in sanguinary catharsis. In that case, I would need some sort of add-on to transmit the information."

"I see." Alfred mumbled to himself. "But with what we discussed, wouldn't we need two transmitters?"

"Oh don't worry about that." The Brit once again dismissed the concern. "The second location will have plenty of lenses to record everything. There is nothing to worry about."

With nothing more than a thoughtful mumble, Alfred turned to the curtains again. And as if on a cue, the lights in the hall went out and the curtains began to move.

Alexander swiftly leaned in close to Alfred. "The day after tomorrow." He whispered, before chuckling to himself. As he did, the curtains had fully revealed the stage where the lights came on and the rehearsal began.


	19. Frame

**A/N: I was bored, so I didn't want to bother with more proof-reading. Here it is. Also, please, _please,_ leave a review. The distinct lack of these are one of the prominent factors that has lead to this slowdown. So please. And do enjoy.**

* * *

The crystal-like moon shone its silverish light down onto the nearly deserted streets. Yet as the light approached the worn concrete of the road and pavement, it mixed with the bright pink, green and blue from various neon signs hanging around.

Amidst these lights of the night, only a single figure strode forward with determination and clarity. Everyone else merely wandered aimlessly about in a lost daze of alcohol.

The figure, wearing a thick winter coat, continued forward. Suddenly, a man and a woman who were clearly intoxicated stumbled out into the streets, right in front of him.

"And shen ma fwiend shaid..." The man rambled as the woman laughed. The laugh seemed detached to the figure in front of them.

"'Ya shouldn't be here, Shonoka'." The man continued in a much exaggerated voice. The pair then began to stumble forward.

"But I-" The man was about to say, when he saw the figure in front of them. Even through the shadow cast by the pink neon light above, his blue eyes shone with cold disapproval.

Apparently with no further stories, the man and woman hastily walked past the figure. Once they were a good distance away, he sighed.

"Of all places, it had to be a neighborhood like this." Hanzo mumbled to himself in dissatisfaction. But with a swift shake of his head, he was ready and continued forward. He would occasionally look up at the bright signs, scanning for his destination. And after much longer than he would have preferred, he found it: A relatively small, concrete building with no lights on apart from the main story. And just above the entrance, a green neon light exclaimed the place's name: _Ouroboros Osake_.

Hanzo swiftly crossed the empty street and opened the door. Inside, every wall was completely covered by shelves with various alcohol, and a counter blocked access to all three walls, apart from the entrance. In the back, Hanzo also noticed a door behind some of the shelves.

Making sure to close the door behind him, Hanzo turned towards the clerk, an elderly man with uncharacteristically purple hair and a leather vest.

"Ah, a new customer. Can't say I get many of you anymore, so you've gotta cherish the opportunity." The clerk excitedly proclaimed. Hanzo walked over to the counter in silence.

"Though you're new here, you look experienced. I think I have the thing that's just right for you." He said before suddenly diving down behind the counter. "A bit harsh, but if you can stomach it, I can guarantee you'll be rewarded with-"

"I'm not here for drinks." Hanzo cut his excited rant off.

The clerk immediately stood up to examine his customer's expression. He wasn't lying or joking. "Aw man." He then said. "And here I was getting excited for once. You know how rare that is?"

After a heavy sigh and a hand through his purple hair, the clerk looked up again. "Well, we don't really have anything other than booze, as you can see. You sure you didn't go to the wrong place?"

"I'm certain." Hanzo dismissed his concern. He then reached into his pockets, and as soon as the clerk noticed, he leaned in close.

"What do you need?" He whispered, his voice the completely opposite of before.

"Information." The archer replied, also in a whisper. He then pulled out a small piece of torn-off paper and placed it on the counter. On it was a name: _Kuroikami Hazama._

"I want everything you have on him." Hanzo confidently said.

All color vanished from the clerk's face. After a deep gulp, he disappeared back down under the counter. "O-One second." He stuttered while rummaging about. The sounds of several bottles falling over just cemented how nervous he'd become.

Hanzo briefly looked outside. There was no people in sight.

When he turned back, the archer was met with the barrel of a shotgun. Reacting instinctively, he grapped the barrel and lifted it up, making the pellets fire up into the roof. The clerk, having barely realized what happened, just stood by as Hanzo pried the weapon from his hands and swung it at him, hitting his jaw with the wooden stock.

With a pained grunt, the clerk fell to the floor and Hanzo quickly jumped over the counter and aimed the shotgun at him. At a quick glance, he also saw various other weapons stored under the counter.

"Answer me. Now!" He ordered.

The clerk's breath suddenly became incredibly raspy and he began to hyperventilate. When he turned around, it wasn't the eyes Hanzo had expected to meet him. There was no anger, no hate, no shock. Just fear.

"You... don't get it." He slowly spoke.

"Is he worth giving up your life for?" Hanzo tried, but it prompted an unexpected response.

"I'm not. He's... he's everywhere. He's inescapable. If I say even the slightest thing, I won't die." He said in a panicking voice.

"If you help me, I'll protect you. He won't kill you on my watch." Hanzo continued.

"No, he won't." The clerk agreed. "He'll... make me want to die."

"What are you talking about?!" Hanzo raised his voice, annoyed over the cryptic answers.

"YOU DON'T GET IT!" The clerk suddenly shouted back while turning towards him and rising to his knees. He was sweating furiously and his eyes continually darted everywhere. "All the other bosses I've served..." He slowly started, his voice nearing its breaking point. "They inspired fear. But him... He's despair itself. He's ultimate despair."

The clerk suddenly launched himself towards the counter. "No!" Hanzo shouted, but he didn't catch him, before he reached a gun, put it in his mouth, and pulled the trigger.

Hanzo looked at the scene with a mix of sorrow and disbelief. And just as blood began to drip off the counter, the questions began to pile up. But through everything, one question shone through everything else.

"Just what kind of person could drive someone to do this?" Hanzo mumbled.

* * *

"By the way, did Alfred deliver the package to you?" Alexander asked while overlooking the activities of the Crimson Legion from the command center.

"Indeed. Now we're anxiously waiting for the show to begin." Scarlett answered.

"Anxious for varying reasons I assume." The commander added with a small but sinister smile. With nothing but an entertained chuckle from Scarlett, he turned around and walked over to her. "I hate this. I would've so much preferred to avoid any reactionary stories, since they make us seem like we're on the defense." He said.

"We could release everything before them and predetermine a public image of the situation." Scarlett suggested while also standing up.

"No, it doesn't matter how we spin it, we look bad in it. This, all of this, is just salvaging a bad situation. So it's best to just have it in reserve, as a defense in case Overwatch decides try and provoke us." Alexander dismissed the suggestion.

"If you say so." The woman agreed without any further comments. She then suddenly ran a hand through her long hair, while placing the other on Alexander's shoulder. "Now then, with all of this out of the way, what say you join me for-"

The pair turned towards the sound of doors opening, where they saw Nat standing in the frame. She and Scarlett swiftly exchanged poisonous glares, even though the news-director was better at hiding it.

"Al." Nat greeted as her eyes traced along Scarlett's arm, up to his green eyes.

"What can I do for you, my dear Nat?" Alexander softly asked while nonchalantly brushing Scarlett's hand off his shoulder before approaching her. But before she could answer, he exclaimed: "Oh, by the way, I believe I have something for you. Wait one second."

The older brother swiftly spun around and made his way over to Scarlett.

"You have duties as a sibling, I understand." The news-director quickly said. "I'll be ready whenever you are." She then added before excusing herself and striding out the door.

As the click of a shutting door sounded behind her, Scarlett let out a sigh and leaned up against it. For some reason, these meetings always exhausted her. But even then, they were definitely worth it. As she placed a cold hand over her eyes, she let out a small laugh. She was happy, oh so happy for this opportunity.

"A front-row seat to history in the making... What more could a reporter possibly ask for?" She asked herself, followed by another small laugh.

Regaining her composure with a deep breath, Scarlett's hand slid down her face and fell down to her hip. Steeling her gaze, she walked down the stairs when she felt something in her pocket. It was the package from Alfred. But when she thought about that, a memory reappeared in her head. The package had come with something else.

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, she reached into her pockets and pulled out the small piece of paper. A long number was written on it.

As Scarlett moved through the warehouse, with eyes on her from every angle, she pulled out her phone and dialed in the number.

* * *

Meanwhile, in an office somewhere in the city of Brussels, Alfred was sitting and mulling over some documents on his desk. There was a meeting soon, and these papers did absolutely nothing to help his case. In fact, they were an explicit danger.

"Another dead end..." The omnic mumbled in a tired voice as he leaned back in his chair. "And another session where I'll have to sit by quietly."

The omnic's blue lights drifted down to the papers on his desk. He placed a hand on them. They annoyed him. For some unexplainable reason, those pieces of paper seemed to mock him, to mock all of his effort in this matter. He slowly closed his fist, crumbling the document on top.

The phone rang. Though slightly surprised, Alfred still picked it up quickly.

"Alfred Eagle, UN Representative. With who am I speaking?" He fired off his standard greeting like instinct.

" _Well hello there Mr. Eagle._ " Scarlett's voice sounded from the other side.

Alfred leaned back in his chair with a sigh of relief. No masquerades necessary, thankfully. "Oh Ms. Moineau. I can see you didn't hesitate to use my extra package. Although I'll admit, I intended more for it to be a last-resort in case of an emergency."

" _Even if that's the case, you sound like someone who's in an emergency right now._ " Scarlett joked, followed by a small chuckle.

"I may be." Alfred admitted before leaning forward and grapping the crumbled document. "Do you know what I'm looking at here?"

" _If I had to hazard a guess? A performance-rating from your last visit to a love-hotel._ " Scarlett answered.

Alfred decided to ignore the comment. "A notice directly from Overwatch, telling us that they have discovered the names of three of Caeden's accomplices. Alfred, Scarlett and Nat."

" _You're joking right?_ " Scarlett said in disbelief.

"I wish I was." The omnic admitted in a heavy voice. "But it looks like they've made progress, whether we like it or not. It doesn't seem to be anything more than our first names though, apart from Ms. Caeden. For her it's just a nickname."

" _Still, we should tread with care. Their scope is narrowed and I absolutely refuse to go down before this is all over!_ " Scarlett almost shouted over the phone.

"I know I know." Alfred tried. "But if I'm honest, that's not what I'm most scared off."

" _Is it our good boss' reaction when you tell him?_ " The news-director guessed.

"Bullseye." The omnic answered. "Especially Ms. Caeden. He is... let's say, very protective about her." He slowly and carefully found the words to use.

" _I wouldn't worry too much about that, if I were you._ " Scarlett unexpectedly said, earning her a surprised grunt from the omnic in the other end. " _I mean, this plan will expose her part to Overwatch. So I doubt he'll just have her stay where they could easily find her._ " She argued.

"That does make sense." Alfred admitted. He then threw the paper back onto his desk. "But speaking of Ms. Caeden, I can't help but wonder about something."

" _What?_ " Scarlett inquired, her interest now thoroughly peeked.

"This may be because I'm an omnic, but... Ms. Caeden's affection for her brother. It's unlike anything I've experienced. It's... well, more." The omnic tried to explained.

" _Well, there's definitely 'more' there than most, that much is certain._ " Scarlett made an offhanded comment. " _I mean, you should've seen her before. I was just touching his shoulder, and she looked like she was ready to chop my hand clean off._ "

"Maybe, and this is just a theory of mine. But maybe their abandonment made her weary of anyone trying to get in contact with them. She's naturally distrustful from past experiences." Alfred hypothesized.

" _Or maybe she's just jealous. She wants him all to herself._ " Scarlett just blurted out.

"Are you saying...?" The omnic asked.

" _I'm not saying anything. I'm just thinking aloud. Oh, looks like I finally got a cap. Talk later yeah?_ " Scarlett exclaimed before cutting the line off without waiting for any kind of response.

Now alone in his silence again, Alfred put the phone back with a sigh. He then turned back to the papers, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't focus on what was right in front of him. Instead, his thoughts continued to dwell on her. There were so many different ways to interpret her actions, so he just continued an endless cycle of thinking a bad scenario, convincing himself otherwise, think up a new one, and repeat.

Eventually, he stood up and walked over to the window. As he absentmindedly observed the busy, unaware streets below, he mumbled to himself. "This won't help. I'll just ask her directly the next time we meet."

* * *

With a quick wave, Lena said her goodbyes to Emily and began to walk down the stairs. Allowing herself to breathe a sigh of relief, she was glad. Emily was safe, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, this CC seemed trustworthy and now Emily also understood what had been going on.

A small chuckle escaped Lena's lips and she jumped down the next two sets of stairs. Little did she know, on those steps she hastily passed, she had also passed a figure, nearly giving them a heart-attack. But Lena didn't notice and just continued down.

When she reached the exit and opened it, she was met by a chilly autumn wind.

"Bloody forecasters." Lena mumbled to herself as she closed her insufficient coat tightly. As ready as she could be, she walked out into the streets.

She stood frozen for a second, among the brown and golden leaves of autumn. Then she headed left. Sure, she had primarily come here to check up on Emily, but she also an ulterior motive: To buy an anniversary present. It was early, yes, but then she wouldn't end up in the same kind of rush as last year.

So with determination, she walked through the streets of London for about 15 minutes, navigating crowded streets and smaller alleys, until she found herself in front of her destination: A music store.

Lena immediately opened the door and entered the warm shop. After taking a deep, satisfied breath and opening her coat, she began browsing the records.

Admittedly, it took some time. She wasn't too well-versed in these kinds of things, and she didn't want to disappoint her girlfriend. So she searched, and searched, and searched.

Eventually, an album peeked her interest. Pulling it out, she carefully inspected the front. It was apparently called ' _Rechasing the Horizon_ ', and the artist was... ' _Jean-Ken Johnny plus Spear Rib_ '. Yeah, that sounded right. She'd heard Emily mention that name before, but she hadn't seen this album anywhere.

Lena just shrugged before walking up to the counter and placing it down. After the omnic had scanned it, she handed him the money and he handed her a plastic bag.

With her shopping finished, Lena exited the shop. Now there wasn't anything she really needed to do, but she didn't really feel like already returning to the others. As she began to lose herself in her thoughts, her legs unconsciously began to carry her through the streets.

It was already autumn. Alexander had appeared in the early summer, and now the leaves were already turning brown and falling down. Time had passed, but whether that was a good or bad thing, she couldn't agree with herself on. On one hand, he hadn't done a lot of things, considering the amount of time he'd been running around. But on the other hand, he'd been free without any consequences for his evil actions for so long, it just didn't seem fair.

The hand holding the plastic bag tightened, turning the knuckles white.

Moreover, as long as he existed, somewhere, Emily couldn't be completely safe. That was a reality Lena wouldn't, no, couldn't accept. That was one of her most important reasons for fighting after all. If something happened to her, Lena just couldn't imagine what she would do then.

Lena's shoulder suddenly bumped into something and her balance wavered for a few seconds. But she quickly regained it again.

Breathing a sigh of annoyance over her own absentmindedness, Lena looked at what she's bumped into. It was the metal casing for a poster. Upon further inspection, it for a play. Looking up with surprise, she could indeed confirm that her legs had carried her all the way to the London Theater.

Lena was about to turn away. Then something caught her eye. That poster, there was something familiar about. Like some sort of distant déjà vu.

Not caring that it must look odd to passersby, she leaned in and observed every detail of the poster.

The title was nothing. Both of the leads she didn't know. But, there, among all the supporting actors, a face seemed familiar. Then it hit her like a wrecking ball. Now that she had seen it, she couldn't unsee it.

Stumbling a few steps back in shock, she almost gasped for air. "Nat..." She mumbled.

Dropping the record on the ground in her hurry, Lena reached into her pockets and found her earpiece. It was only as she was putting it in, that she noticed she had dropped the record.

As the beeping sound began in her ear, she bent down and picked her anniversary-gift up.

* * *

Winston looked at the pieces of paper in front of him. An unflattering expression of surprise and disbelief painted his face. The papers themselves were old, almost yellow. But the words they contained, the story they spoke, that was the terrifying thing.

After further seconds of astonished silence, Winston raised his eyes and met the carrier who had brought them: Ana.

"Is this true?" Winston almost whispered. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, so many things this implied, but that was all he could get out now.

"I'm afraid so." Ana just replied.

Winston closed the file with a heavy sigh. Just three words decorated it, beneath the Overwatch logo: Operation Dystopia Gatekeeper.

"How... should we even break this to her?" The gorilla let out.

"I don't know." Ana simply replied with apparent regret. "I only know it'll be painful, no matter when it will be."

"Very." Winston added in a grim tone. Then, with another sigh, he took the file.

A sudden beep pierced the contemplative silence, surprising Winston and causing him to drop the file and all its contents out over the floor.

"Great." The gorilla mumbled. But as he was about to bend down and pick the papers up, Ana grapped his shoulder. She shook her head and pointed towards the beeping phone on his desk. Winston mumbled a quick 'thank you', before walking over to the phone and picking it up. Behind him, Ana began to pick the papers up.

"Hello?" Winston greeted in his calmest voice possible.

" _Winston._ " Lena sounded from the other side.

"Lena." The gorilla blurted out as his eyes widened. Ana complete froze behind him. He then suddenly coughed before speaking as normally as possible. "What is it? I didn't expect you to call back so soon."

" _She's here_." The brit said, completely ignoring what Winston had said. And it was then he noticed something else. Her voice, whereas it was normally energetic and curious, was now tensed and cautious.

"Who?" Winston obviously asked.

" _Nat_." The simple answer sounded.

"What?!" Winston exclaimed much louder than intended. "You have her?!"

" _Well, no, it's a little more complicated than that_." Lena admitted apologetically. She then explained exactly where she was and what she had discovered. As she went on, Winston sat back down and placed a hand over his eyes.

"I... see." He eventually let out.

" _You don't believe me?_ " Lena asked, sounding genuinely hurt.

"No no, of course I do." Winston quickly apologized.

" _You don't have to force yourself. It could be nothing._ " Lena suddenly started doubting herself for some reason.

"No no, I believe you. It actually makes some sense. It's just..." Winston fell silent. "I've had a long day. And I've come upon... something."

" _What?_ " Lena asked, slightly nervous.

"Something that can wait." The gorilla suddenly seemed to recover all his energy. "You said it was in London, right? I'll quickly send someone over. Then it would be a good idea, if you could ask some questions to whoever's in charge there. Perhaps even figure out where she lives."

" _Gotcha! See ya soon!"_ Lena likewise recovered as she bid her farewells.

With the line closed, Winston almost collapsed over the table. As he laid there for a few seconds, he eventually felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Ana's slightly concerned eye looking down at him.

"Want to share?" She asked in a low voice as she showed him a sympathetic smile.

Winston rose back up with a small chuckle. "Take Fareeha, Jack and Jesse and go to London. I'll explain on the way."

Ana looked at him for a few seconds. He then relented and turned around. "On my way." She said before walking out, leaving Winston alone.

The gorilla was about to turn around, when his eyes fell on something. Ana had finished cleaning up the file and now it laid neatly on his desk. He placed a hand on it. After a few seconds of contemplation, he removed it again and walked out as well.

* * *

Emily stopped in surprise. Lena had just left, but now there was someone knocking on the door again.

Casting a quick glare around her apartment, she couldn't see anything Lena might've forgotten. So with slightly nervous steps, fueled by what her girlfriend had just warned her about, she walked over to her door.

"Yes?" She greeted before opening it.

Upon doing so, however, she immediately relaxed. On the other side stood Catherine. However, she seemed a bit more nervous than usual.

"Ah, Catherine. What can I do for you?" Emily offered while stepping to the side, letting her enter.

"T-thank you." The ex-Talon scientist thanked as she stepped inside.

"Is there something wrong? Or perhaps some new intel on him?" The brit inquired as the pair walked into the couch.

"No, for once, it's nothing like that." Catherine replied with a quick, dismissive wave.

"Well, now I'm intrigued." Emily admitted with a sly smile. Catherine had a short chuckle. "Why don't we sit?" She then offered while gesturing for the couch. With a quick nod, Catherine sat down and Emily followed suit. "So what is this new thing?"

"I..." Catherine started, but for some reason, she couldn't find the words.

Emily was confused. Catherine was always so sure of herself whenever she spoke. She knew exactly what to say, how to convince her. But now this confident woman was sitting and stammering in front of her. Her constantly flickering gaze didn't help much either.

"It's family." She finally managed to get out after a deep breath.

The brit looked at her for a few seconds, slightly bewildered by the unexpected topic. "Family?" She eventually managed to ask, although she wasn't proud of the tone it came out in.

"Yes." The scientist confirmed. "Elder sister. I... I kept her secret when I was in Talon. So they couldn't blackmail we using her."

"But is that different now?" Emily asked with clear concern.

"No. Or, maybe. It's not Talon. But Alexander... I'm scared he'll track her down and use her against me. When I think about what he might do to her..." She quickly covered her face with her hands and turned away.

The brit just sat and looked at her, profoundly confused. "But..." She eventually tried. "But he hasn't yet, has he?"

"No." Catherine confirmed. "She works for a private research company. Off the radar stuff. Right now, she's somewhere in Scandinavia. That's how I was able to keep her secret."

"So isn't she safe there?" Emily tried, more enthusiastically, since she now had something to work with.

"Perhaps." She admitted. "But you saw how easily he appeared at Eichenwalde, without anyone noticing. Scandinavia is just a bit north from that."

"Yes, but like you said, it's off the radar stuff. So he need to know where to even look before he can go there." Emily continued.

Catherine sighed deeply. "You're right." She slowly said. "You're right."

After a few silent seconds, where the ex-Talon scientist got her breath under control, Emily placed her hand on her shoulder.

Catherine chuckled. "You know, I'm happy I decided to go to you. I had my doubts whether you could get through to them, but you kept your promise. So... what I guess I want to say is... that I respect you. I will continue to do so."

"Oh come on." Emily replied in a much lighter tone. "Why are you talking like it's the last time we'll speak?"

"True." Catherine agreed. "There's... still much left to do. For everyone. For me too. So that we'll reach... the ideal outcome."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang again, echoing through the apartment.

"Who is it now?" Emily exclaimed, rather annoyed. She quickly got up and walked over to the door.

After swiftly shaking her head, Catherine followed her.

* * *

Nazzareno Nero exited the taxi with his bag over his shoulder. After paying the driver a handsome amount, the large man watched the vehicle leave in a hurry.

With a sigh, he turned his blue eyes towards the building in front of him: The Rising Sun Mall, in all its white glory, with the glass half-globe rising well above the rest of the building.

"Why waste so much money on a mere mall?" Nazzareno mumbled out loud in his native Italian.

With nothing as an answer, the man began to walk towards the entrance. As he approached, it became more crowded, but people still got out of the way for him. One of the benefits of having an intimidating look, with rough beard and hair and a scar across the left cheek.

Eventually, he reached the cue and he reluctantly placed himself between everyone else.

It moved slowly. Oh so slowly. Like he was standing still. He groaned. If it weren't for his orders, he would be in by now. But then again, it probably wasn't a good idea to disobey the new boss.

Finally, he reached the entrance. After placing his bag on the x-ray table, he walked through the door.

The officer behind the screens looked carefully when his bag came through. Then he nodded. Nazzareno nodded back, not letting him show the relief he felt.

The Italian swiftly swung the bag over his shoulder and walked inside the spacious mall. There was plenty of light and a large open space with benches. Not too bad, he had to admit.

He walked over to a specific bench and sat down. To pass the time while waiting, he reached into his bag and pulled out a piece of metal.

"So the doc's not all talk." He commented with a smile, still in Italian.

He then stuffed it back down and quickly closed it, as a couple came dangerously close to him.

As Nazzareno sat and observed the area, he scanned the people. They were all ordinary people out shopping. No one of any interest at all. But that's exactly what made them of interest. And even then, orders were orders.

Nazzareno sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Nero." A voice behind him said.

"Napoli." Nazzareno replied, suddenly very aware and serious.

"You brought everything?" His companion asked.

"Of course." Nazzareno replied confidently. "What kind of boss would I be of I didn't? Did you?"

"Yes." Napoli simply answered while gripping tightly around the shopping back in his hands.

"Then let's go." Nero ordered. The pair then began to walk through mall. Although it looked like they were just strolling, they were walking to a specific place.

As they walked, more people, one by one, began to follow them.

"You ready, Napoli?" Nazzareno asked without moving his eyes.

"Of course sir." The younger member answered immediately.

"Good." The reply just sounded.

Eventually, the pair reached a bathroom. Upon opening the door, he confirmed that it was indeed big enough. Slowly and inconspicuously, the followers began to trickle into the bathroom. Eventually, it was just Nero and a guy wearing a janitor uniform.

"I'm counting on you, Monteforte." Nazzareno said and the other guy nodded. He then closed the door and walked inside.

"Now then." Nazzareno started. "Me and Napoli here have something for you all." He said before the pair threw their bags into the middle of the gathered crowd. "Suit up."

* * *

A dark room was filled only with the sound of liquid falling to the floor. Then a chuckle.

"Excellent, excellent!" A voice exclaimed in such glee it was almost uncomfortable. "Your voice, that sweet singing... oh, how it pleases me to hear. You are incapable of understanding just how grateful I am for this opportunity!" It continued in absolute bliss.

Another chuckle echoed from the voice. "Now... sing some more for me." It hissed before raising a bloody butterfly knife and slicing into her arm.

The scream of agony filled the room. Another delicate slice. Another scream. More blood.

"No!" A third voice tried to object from behind.

"Now now, Ka-chan." The first scolded like he was a disobedient child. "You just shouldn't have tried to leave. It was so simple. I just can't understand why... where did I go wrong?" The voice asked melodramatically.

A sadistic smile shone across the room. "Actually, I don't care. You gave me an opportunity like this, I guess I should be grateful."

The figure raised the butterfly knife again.

"STOP!" The man tried. His wife just cried, her strength completely drained.

"Master." A new arrival said.

"What?" The figure asked, thoroughly displeased with the disturbance.

"Your acquaintance has reported, that the show will soon start. Also, the live feed is active now." The arrival said in a monotone voice without the least bit of fear.

"Ahh, I see. I had completely forgotten about that." The figure replied. Something then extended from his back and crushed the woman's head. Her husband didn't even have time to react, before his head was likewise obliterated. It then returned to its host.

"Thank you." The figure said in a sugar-coated tone. He then took the screen and walked away.

While making his way through the dark corridors, the figure looked at the screen. It was security footage of a bathroom where a group was changing into uniforms.

The figure's face twisted into a delighted smile and his green eyes glowed with glee. "This should be interesting."


	20. Vociferous

"Ah, you mean ms. Lockwood?" The director exclaimed. The five members of Overwatch briefly looked at him in confusion.

"Likely her alias." Ana concluded from the backline.

"Alias?" The director asked upon hearing that.

"Nevermind that." 76 ordered. The soldier stood right in front of the director's desk while everyone else were just behind him. "Do you know where she lives?"

"H-hold on." The director suddenly seemed to resist them. "Why do you need to know that? As far as I know, she's a perfectly law-abiding citizen. We checked everything on her before hiring her, as we do with everyone. Why is she suddenly being investigated by Overwatch?"

"Checked where?" Ana asked, still without moving from the backlines.

"What, where? ...Well, the BPR, since she didn't have any family we could consult." He answered after some time to think.

"Figures." McCree commented.

"What, why? Is it faulty? Does she have family?" He asked.

"You don't need to know." 76 tried to dismiss him.

"No, I bloody do! She's one of my actors and I deserve-"

76 slammed a fist into the table, finally silencing the director. "We aren't telling you because that could endanger you. And in case you haven't figured it out, it's our entire job to make sure you aren't endagered." The soldier ranted.

The director was silence, just looking at the visor in front of him, which felt more threatening than ensuring.

"Whoa there, calm down." McCree tried while slowly placing a hand on the soldier's shoulder.

Lena quickly stepped forward. "Please, we're kinda busy and this would be a huge help. So please."

The director observed her for a few seconds, unsure what to do. Then he sighed. "Fine. I'll tell you, but don't come back to me if you're wrong."

"You don't even know why we want to see her." 76 commented.

"Just let it go." Fareeha advised in a heavy voice.

Once the director had given them Nat's address, they quickly excused themselves and walked out into the streets.

"Since when do people not trust those who protect them!" 76 mumbled as they made their way through the autumn-leaves-covered streets.

"It's not his fault." Lena tried to say.

"And not ours either." Ana added.

"That just leaves one candidate." Fareehad concluded.

76 sighed. Nothing more needed to be said about that. They all knew what each other were thinking. So instead, he mumbled. "The sooner the better."

* * *

He had been willing to help. It could turn out immensily entertaining, and it could also make conducting business much easier. So that was a bonus. But if there was anything he hated more than anything, it was boredom. So he had to assure that this venture wouldn't be boring.

Kuroikami Hazama sat down and looked at the screen with anticipation.

So far, it was looking good.

* * *

Lena didn't like how quickly they made their way over to the address. It was way too close to Emily's place. But it was too late to worry about that now.

McCree calmly walked over to the doorbell and pressed the button for ' _N. Lockwood_ '.

Nothing.

He pressed it again, and was met by silence again.

Third time, still nothing.

"Try one of the neighbors." Lena suggested.

"If you say so." The cowboy simply with a disinterested shrug of his shoulders. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about his indifference about this situation irked her incredibly.

The cowboy pressed another button and waited a bit more. Then a voice answered.

" _Y-yes hello_?" The voice asked. Even through the doorbell, they could tell it was a meager guy's voice.

"Howdy partner." McCree greeted. "Listen, we're here because of your neighbor."

" _Ms. Lockwood_?" The nervous voice asked.

"Correct." The cowboy continued. "But see, we've run into a problem here. She isn't answering her doorbell. You wouldn't happen to know if she's out, would you?" He asked while tipping his hat, even though it was only voice.

" _I... Lockwood, erhm, she... I mean- I think- but... I- yeah, I-I think... she's out._ " He eventually found an answer.

"Out? Well, that's a shame. Oh well, since we've come all the way here, mind if we come up and ask you a few questions?" McCree now tried.

" _Erhm, that's... I mean- no, f-first I want... I mean, who are you?_ " He somehow managed to ask.

"Overwatch. And we're coming in." 76 suddenly interjected.

" _O-?!_ " The voice exclaimed like some sort of shock before the channel suddenly cut off.

"Nice one." Fareeha threw her sarcastic remark in Jack's face.

"We weren't getting anywhere." The soldier explained his own reasoning.

"And sending him into cardiac arrest will?" The egyptian shot back. 76 was silent.

The group waited for a few seconds. Then a click sounded from the door. When Lena tried pushing it, it opened with ease.

"You were lucky." Fareeha quickly said before Jack managed. With just a grunt from the soldier, they made their way up the stairs. They eventually reached the floor, where two doors met them. One read ' _Natacha Lockwood_ ' and the one next to it read ' _Louis M. Campbell_ '.

"Jesse, Fareeha, go over there and ask him a few things. We'll start to search the apartment. When one is done, they'll join the others." Ana ordered.

"How are you-" Fareeha was about to ask, when 76 kicked the door in.

"Subtle." Lena commented.

"Figures." Jesse added.

"Just go over there and talk with the kid!" 76 barked before walking into the dark entrance.

With a sigh, Fareeha and Jesse walked over to the other door and knocked. After a few seconds of what sounded like someone trying to swim in a dumpster, it opened.

"Oh, y-you really are Overwatch." The guy said upon seeing them. Befitting his voice, his body was also meager and pale. He was wearing a simple tracksuit and both his face and hair looked very dirty.

"Louis... M... Campbell?" McCree asked.

"... That's me. Why?" He replied while fidgeting with a thing metal collar around his neck. He was very clearly nervous and unsure what to make of this unexpected visit. But there was also something else.

"Mind if we come in?" Fareeha asked as friendly as possible while wearing battle-armor and carrying a rifle on her back.

"Oh, er, s-sure." Louis answered before awkwardly stepping to the side.

As the cowboy entered the apartment, he began to look around while Fareeha walked Louis over to his couch. The first thing he noticed was how messy the place was. Empty cans and boxes of various instant-meals decorated the floor, along with crumbled paper and other forms of trash. What was odd though, was that while the mess was a symptom, there was no sign of a cause. Nothing that could act as a dark abyss for a life to slip into.

"You live alone?" Fareeha started while also casting a quick glance around the place.

"Y-yeah. I've lived alone for some years now." Louis replied. He was looking at the ground as he sat down.

"I see. Say, what was your relationship with Natacha? How well did you know her and stuff like that." She then asked.

"Oh, erm, I mean... She moved in after me, about a year ago. We greeted each other, but didn't really talk. I tried to invite her over and such, but she was very difficult to talk to. Whenever I asked about her past, she just shut off. And she didn't really try to start any conversations. She was very... distant." He explained.

As he continued, McCree stumbled upon something interesting. On the wall hung a decree. A Harvard graduation-certificate for Louis Makoto Campbell.

"Your middle name is Makoto?" McCree asked curiously while taking the certificate down and looking more closely at it.

"Y-yes. It was my dad's choice." He explained.

"Sounds like an interesting fella." The cowboy commented, although his thoughts were more centered another aspect: How did a Harvard-graduate end up in a shit-hole like this?

Done looking at the certificate, McCree put it back and began to search around the rubble on the floor.

"Listen, this is very important." Fareeha warned, making Louis sit with straight back. "Has there been any changes in her behavior lately? Or have you seen her with anyone new? Perhaps some shady people have been walking in and out of her apartment?"

"I..." Louis fell silent and beats of sweat began to appear everywhere on him. He began fidgeting even more with the collar.

"Please, we need to know." Fareeha pressed.

McCree threw the paper away. It was a notice of immediate termination of employment contract with some sort of lagre company. This was the original, as every other paper were no's to various job-requests. The first termination had been three months ago.

"I-I... haven't... seen a-anything... I think, yeah, I mean... yeah." Louis gave the least convincing reply to Fareeha had ever heard.

"Are you certain?" She pressed on.

"I-no... I can't- I mean- I-I really haven't." He continued.

The food boxes were all at least 2 months old. None were older than that. McCree felt the wheels in his head turning. Something was up here, but he couldn't figure it out.

"You haven't seen her with anyone new?" Fareeha continued, despite Louis growing visibly wearier.

"I-I told you, I haven't. I... no, I there's no- I mean, just stop it." Louis suddenly began to beg. "Please, stop. I can't say anything else. That's all."

McCree looked at the paper. His life had been completely gone downhill in what seemed like the blink of an eye. It wasn't unheard of, of course, but there was always a cause in those cases. Here the cause was missing. Moreover, this Louis didn't strike McCree as the unreliable type. So what was this cause?

Perhaps... But why? Then it clicked.

"Are you certain she hasn't been meeting with-" Fareeha was about to ask.

Time seemed to slow for Jesse. He got up and turned towards her. If he was right, then she couldn't say that. "Fa-"

"- Alexander Caeden?" She said it.

"- reeha stop!" He was too late.

"What?" She turned towards him.

Then a sickening sound. Flesh and sinew being teared, bones cracking.

When she turned back, she found Louis looking at her. His face was pale, his eyes empty and no movement what so ever.

Then his head fell off.

His body fell over and the collar, where eight blades had cleanly cut through the neck, disintegrated. An unnervingly steady stream of blood started flowing from the now open hole, running down and painting the floor.

Fareeha stood up in shock.

"Goddammit..." McCree mumbled under his breath as he pulled his hat down over his eyes. "GODDAMMIT!"

"He..." It took a few seconds for Fareeha to be able to speak again. "He was a hostage every second of his day..."

"We should tell the others." McCree quickly said before walking out of the place as quickly as possible. Fareeha followed him into the other apartment. By contrast, this one appeared very clean and neat. Almost every drawer and door was open, but that was likely a result of the search.

"Where are they?" Fareeha asked. True, the others couldn't be seen anywhere.

After the pair had peeked inside various rooms, they eventually found the others huddled around something in the bedroom.

"There you are." McCree exclaimed upon finding them.

"Listen, we-" "WHAT THE HELL?!" Lena's shout completely cut off Fareeha. The newly arrived pair were rightfully surprised, and they quickly rushed over to see what the commotion was about.

There was an empty drawer on the floor and its contents had been spilled out over the bed. Among them were some empty boxes, various papers and a headset with a microphone. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then they saw Lena's trembling hands were clunching something tightly.

"What..." McCree blurted out. It was hard to see what it was, since Lena held it so close to herself.

"LOOK!" The brit suddenly roared, taking everyone aback, while shoving the object in McCree's face.

Still a bit shook, the cowboy nonetheless looked at what had been given to him: A map carved into a piece of metal. It detailed a route, from this place to... Somewhere he didn't know.

"And this is...?" He asked. But when he looked at Lena, expecting answers, he found her standing in some sort of shock, just staring wide-eyed ahead.

"A route." Ana replied in her stead. "From here to Emily."

Now it was McCree's turn to be dumbfounded. "W-what?"

There were so many questions popping up in his head. "I mean, what?! How did he... Or, what does he need this for?"

"Who cares?!" Lena suddenly snapped back to reality. "We have to go! NOW!"

Without waiting for them, the brit dashed out of the apartment, leaving only a blue blur and some wind in her stead.

"Wait for us, dammit!" 76 shouted after her. He then set off into a chase. Everyone soon followed until it was just Ana and her daughter left.

"You had something as well?" The sniper asked. After Fareeha had given her the rundown, she sighed. "Call the police and wait for them. When they arrive, tell them to lock off the entire building. We don't know if he was the only one. Afterwards, you can join us."

Her daughter nodded.

"Good." Ana flashed her one last encouraging smile before following after the group.

* * *

Lena pushed against the door and to her horror, it opened without any resistance. Once open, it revealed an entrance with coats and shoes sprawled out over the floor in a mess. Clear sings of struggle.

She made her way into the rest of the apartment. Here, it was completely clean. There were no messes, everything was she remembered. Only the entrance.

"Emily?" She called out.

The silence once again confirmed her worst fears.

"EMILY?" She tried again. "EMILY? EMILY! E-"

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Her teary eyes were met by the concerned look of Jack, of all people. Without his visor.

"She's not here. That's all we know." The soldier tried to calm her down.

"No... he... he also knew about her. Who, where... WHY?" She fell to her knees and began to silently sob. It was a hard sight to take in, the usually cheerful Lena broken like this.

Jack awkwardly patted her on the back before walking over to Ana, who was already examining the mess.

"What do you make of it?" He made sure to whisper.

"It's not as as bad as it could be. There's also no blood. There was a struggle, but it was likely over in a matter of seconds." She answered.

"That's always something." He pointed out.

As silence settled in, the soldier cast another look back at the sobbing Lena. "Do what you can for her. I'll call Winston." He then ordered. His tone was very mild and careful, completely unlike his usual self.

Ana just nodded before walking over to Lena.

* * *

A painful headache made Emily's head feel like it was splitting open. Her entire body felt heavy and numb. With great effort, she opened her eyes. The enviroment was dark, but she could feel that she was suspended by her wrists and ancles.

The only light was a small blue in front of her, which was bouncing up and down like someone was throwing it up and down.

It went on for a few seconds. Then it stopped and the person turned towards her. Only a pair of eyes and the basic outline of a face could be made out in the extremely dim light. The eyes looked at her with an innocent curiosity. They somehow felt familiar, but the innocence in them also sent a shiver down her spine.

"She's awake." The person shouted. It was a young girl's, as innocent as the eyes.

"Perfect." Another voice, this one masculine and almost whispering, replied.

The girl threw the blue light behind Emily, enveloping her completely in shadows. It stopped somewhere behind, the other person likely caught it.

She suddenly felt a pair of cold, metallic hands touching the bare skin of her shoulders and upper arms.

A breath hit her right ear. She could, but she didn't turn around. A primal fear had completely paralyzed her.

"Let's begin." The masculine voice said.

* * *

 _The Rising Sun Mall. Quite the odd name, wouldn't you think?_

 _After all, a lot of suns are going to be setting there very soon._

 _I would be very careful if I were you._

* * *

Winston stared at the anonymous message. He didn't have any idea how to react to it. It didn't seem like Alexander to give away clues to his schemes like that. It might as well be a prank, although he didn't know who on earth would pull a prank like this.

He sighed. He didn't want to waste energy on something that might just be a prank. So instead, he turned towards another console.

"Athena, play the next of the recordings." He ordered. His voice was audibly tired, but he didn't want to waste his time.

"As you wish, Winston." The AI simply replied.

Then Catherine Crawford's voice came on. After the formalities, it sighed. " _I don't know what to make of today. On one hand, we had another full conversation, so I guess that's progress. But I still feel like I'm not making any progress with him. I want to dig into him, figure out how he works, but... It feels he's the one digging into me. And it's weird, because I've learned a great deal about him. His sister, his family, his... reasoning. Yet he always leads the conversations and I'm just following behind._ "

"To think his influence can spread just through words..." Winston mumbled to himself.

" _Anyways, getting back on track._ " Catherine continued. " _Like I said, we talked again. For once, it was him who opened the conversation. He asked how much longer the procedure had to go on. I was worried if it hurt but he reassured that it was just because it was taking some time getting used to. There was no discomfort. From what I've seen of him when he's sleeping, the way he twitches and mumbles, I'm not sure if I believe that. Although it could also be unrelated psychological damage._ "

Winston didn't really like how off-handedly she mentioned that, but didn't say anything.

" _I then asked how it was feeling and he replied that he was mostly feeling tired. Can't really blame him for that. But he then added that he didn't want to try anything drastic before the procedure was complete. That might be a good idea, or it might not be. I honestly didn't know and still don't. So I changed to subject to something that's been nagging me for some time. I asked him why he opened up to me of all people._ " She said, followed by a short break.

" _At first, he chuckled._ " Her voice was getting more nervous. " _I thought he might say that there hadn't been any reason at all. But when he turned to me, he said I might as well know. He opened up to me because I look like his sister. I suppose that's as good a reason as any, but-"_

Winston paused it. He could be lying, of course, but if he was telling the truth, then this could be useful. In case Lena's lead ended up being a dead end, they be able to use this to identify her instead.

"Athena, remember this part." The gorilla ordered, now with more energy in his voice.

"Done." The AI immediately replied.

With a small smile, Winston was about to continue the recording when a beep interrupted him.

"There's a message for you, Winston. It's via an open channel." Athena exclaimed.

"What?" No one ever used open channels, since practically everyone could see them. Immediately, a thought, or rather a fear, appeared in his head.

"Do we have a point of origin?" He asked.

"Falmouth." Athena answered.

"Okay. Open it." Winston said.

He took a deep breath and waited anxiously. Then the screen opened. It was black and silent.

"Hi there, monkey." An all too familiar voice said. Then Alexander started throwing a ball of blue light up and down, continuesly illuminating his face only to envelop it in shadows a few seconds later. But even through that, his delighted smile could clearly be seen.

"What do you want?" Winston cut directly to the chase.

Alexander chuckled. "Not wasting time, huh? Well, then I won't either. Since I trust you already know where I am, I'll just give you your reason to come down here."

Without waiting, Alexander turned around and threw the ball behind him. It hit something and shattered like glass. The freed liquid started running down Emily's face and upper body, illuminating it.

"I'll just leave you with that." Alexander said before cutting off the line, leaving a completely silenced Winston alone to ponder.


End file.
